Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair offers a protracted timeline of substance consumption by encasing biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. When collected near the scalp, hair can supply up to around a 3-month detection period for alcohol and substances. Hair is straightforward to gather, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch sample comprising roughly 200 strands of hair (approximately the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the optimal quantity for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests beyond 10 panels, a 150mg sample is suggested. It's advisable to weigh the specimen on a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be lacking, a comparable quantity of body hair might be utilized. When mentioning head hair, we solely refer to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four primary stages in the lab processing of a drug test result are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails the initial integration of a specimen into a lab's system. This step verifies the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, allocates a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any further data input omitted by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening consists of an initial brief assessment for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is an economical approach to negate drug usage in most samples, a positive screen necessitates confirmation for court admissibility. Any samples presumptively positive in Screening indeed require a follow-up confirmation.
If a sample is presumed positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the initial sample for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted from hair at a significantly lesser concentration than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), hence, hair drug screening is the most challenging methodology to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is performed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as required. The entire lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 standard accreditation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While commonly called "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually concerns the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp
In Aspen Springs, CA, the advantages of hair follicle testing over urine testing are evident. Hair testing showcases superb detection accuracy with significant reliability.
Hair follicle testing in Aspen Springs, CA provides an extended detection window of up to 90 days.
Choosing hair follicle testing in Aspen Springs, CA greatly minimizes the risk of sample adulteration.
Access to drug testing in Aspen Springs, CA, is incredibly convenient due to the nationwide network of testing centers.
In Aspen Springs, CA, our hair follicle testing process is both simple and confidential.
Our testing services in Aspen Springs, CA offer affordable pricing and a fast turnaround.
The hair follicle drug tests available in Aspen Springs, CA, are renowned for their speed and precision. Unlike urine tests, the detection of substances through hair tests offers a high degree of accuracy.
Employers in Aspen Springs, CA can achieve compliance with drug-free policies through hair follicle testing.
