Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has become recognized as a robust method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extensive record of alcohol and drug exposure by embedding biomarkers within the strands as the hair grows. When trimmed near the scalp, it can reflect drug and alcohol usage over roughly a 90-day period. Hair collection is straightforward, difficult to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches with about 200 hair strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg, which is ideal for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or more than 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. It is suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler's scale. If scalp hair isn't accessible, a comparable amount of body hair can be taken. When we mention head hair, it refers specifically to scalp hair, whereas body hair includes all other types (such as facial and axillary).
Process Overview
The laboratory drug testing process integrates four key phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
During Accessioning, the sample is initially processed into the laboratory's system. This step includes ensuring the sample's seal and shipment integrity, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any missing details not covered by an electronic chain of custody.
Screening serves as a preliminary test for illicit drugs. Although Screening is an economical way to dismiss drug presence in most cases, a positive result necessitates confirmation to be legally valid. Samples that test presumptively positive in Screening must undergo further confirmation.
For samples indicating positive results in Screening, more hairs are extracted from the original sample for the Extraction process. During Extraction, substances are removed from the hair at much lower concentrations than in other means (like urine or oral fluid), rendering hair testing the most challenging method.
Confirmation of any Screening-identified positive result is achieved with GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples showing presumptive positive results are cleansed before confirmation if needed. The complete laboratory workflow from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Though often termed "hair follicle tests", the procedure involves analyzing the hair strand and not the follicle under the scalp.
Hair follicle testing in Mountain Mesa, CA, surpasses traditional urine tests by providing superior detection capabilities.
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