Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has become regarded as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended timeline of alcohol and other drugs by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the hair strand as it grows. When collected close to the scalp, hair can offer up to a 3-month detection window for alcohol and other drugs. Hair is easy to collect, somewhat resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch sample of approximately 200 strands of hair (similar in size to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests with more than 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is advisable. Using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen is suggested. If scalp hair is unavailable, a similar quantity of body hair can be used. Reference to head hair specifically means scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (including facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
There are four principal steps in the laboratory processing of a drug test result: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning encompasses the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory’s system, including verification of proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening entails an initial brief examination for substances of abuse. Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug use in most samples, but a positive screen requires confirmation for legal admissibility. Samples presumptively positive in Screening necessitate a secondary confirmation.
If a sample is presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the initial specimen and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations than in other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which renders hair drug screening the most challenging technique to execute.
Confirmation of any positive Screening result is carried out using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation if necessary. Throughout the entire process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, the procedures are assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the test itself examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Hair follicle testing surpasses traditional urine tests in North Highlands, CA, by offering greater detection accuracy and reliability. Key Benefits:
The hair follicle drug testing in North Highlands, CA, provides an extended detection window, making it ideal for employers seeking thorough substance use history.
Hair follicle tests in North Highlands, CA, are known for their tamper-resistant nature. This form of testing greatly reduces the possibility of sample manipulation and ensures reliable and unquestionable outcomes.
North Highlands, CA, benefits from a wide network of testing sites, making drug testing convenient and easy.
In North Highlands, CA, the hair follicle testing procedure is straightforward and confidential.
Providing affordable pricing and fast turnaround, our services in North Highlands, CA, ensure excellent value.
The hair follicle drug tests in North Highlands, CA, provide quick and reliable results. This method's precision ensures that substance use is accurately detected, making it superior in terms of reliability compared to other tests available.
Speedy processing and high accuracy are crucial aspects that employers and individuals value in the hair follicle drug testing process.
Employers in North Highlands, CA, gain invaluable compliance and peace of mind with hair follicle testing.
