Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as an effective method for spotting drug and alcohol usage. By capturing biomarkers in hair fibers, hair offers a lasting account of alcohol and drug intake. When clipped near the scalp, hair provides roughly a three-month window for detecting substances. The collection process is straightforward, it's quite resistant to tampering, and it can be shipped with ease.
A 1.5-inch segment of about 200 hair strands (similar to a #2 pencil’s girth) near the scalp gives 100mg of hair, which is the perfect amount for both screening and confirmation. For tests beyond 10 panels, EtG, or add-ons, 150mg of the sample is suggested. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. If scalp hair isn’t an option, an equivalent amount of body hair may be used. Specifically, head hair refers to scalp hair exclusively. Body hair includes other hair types (facial, axillary, and so on).
Process Overview
The lab processing for a drug test result encompasses four main stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is about initially integrating a sample into a lab’s system. This entails checking the sample's seal and shipment, assigning it a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any missed data entry not covered by electronic documentation systems.
Screening is an initial rapid assessment for drugs. It's a cost-effective approach for excluding drug usage in the majority of cases; however, a positive result here necessitates confirmation for court validity. Presumptive positives during Screening require further confirmation.
Should a sample yield a presumptive positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the original sample to ready it for Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs from hair at far lower concentrations than those found in methods like urine or oral fluid, underscoring the complexity of hair drug screening.
Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is conducted through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation if needed. The entire laboratory workflow from Accessioning to Confirmation adheres to CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and meets ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", this test actually examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Port Hueneme, CA
Extended Detection Window in Port Hueneme, CA
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Port Hueneme, CA
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Port Hueneme, CA
Simple, Confidential Process in Port Hueneme, CA
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Port Hueneme, CA
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Port Hueneme, CA
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Port Hueneme, CA