Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as a potent means to identify drug and alcohol consumption. Hair stores a prolonged history of alcohol and other substances by securing biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer nearly a 3-month detection timeframe for alcohol and drugs. Hair is straightforward to collect, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and easy to send.
A 1.5-inch section of around 200 strands of hair (roughly matching the girth of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the perfect sample for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. We suggest weighing the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn’t accessible, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, it pertains solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four fundamental steps in laboratory processing of a drug test outcome include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning involves the preliminary handling of a sample into a laboratory’s system. This process ensures the sample was sealed and dispatched correctly, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishes any additional data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening involves an initial rapid assessment for substances of abuse. While Screening is a cost-efficient way to exclude drug use in the majority of samples, a positive screen requires confirmation to be permissible in legal proceedings. Any samples yielding a presumptive positive during Screening need a secondary confirmation.
If a sample shows a presumptive positive in Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial specimen and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, substances are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations than other methodologies (ex. urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is the most challenging methodology to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening result is accomplished via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation as needed. The entire laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the analysis involves the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp
Comparatively, hair follicle testing holds an advantage over traditional urine tests in Kaibab, AZ. Hair testing displays greater detection accuracy and reliability.
Employers in Kaibab, AZ benefit from hair follicle testing's extended detection window.
In Kaibab, AZ, hair follicle tests are a robust defense against sample tampering.
Enjoy the convenience of nationwide and local testing centers in Kaibab, AZ.
The hair follicle testing process in Kaibab, AZ is straightforward and confidential.
Experience affordable pricing and quick results in Kaibab, AZ.
Hair follicle drug tests in Kaibab, AZ are celebrated for their swift and precise outcomes. Accuracy plays a critical role in identifying substance use, making hair testing a preferred option.
Adopting hair follicle testing in Kaibab, AZ facilitates employer compliance with drug-free policies.