Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair evaluations are increasingly recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair maintains a prolonged record of alcohol and drugs by encapsulating biomarkers within the fiber of the hair strand as it grows. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer up to a roughly 3-month detection timeframe for alcohol and other substances. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and convenient for transport.
A 1.5-inch sample consisting of about 200 hairs (approximately the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the preferred quantity for analysis and validation. For EtG, supplemental panels, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, it is advisable to gather 150mg of the sample. It is suggested to measure the sample weight using a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be unavailable, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be gathered. The term head hair refers specifically to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair varieties (such as facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Outline
The primary stages in the laboratory processing of a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning involves the preliminary processing of a sample into a lab’s system. This encompasses verifying the proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any other required data entry not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening represents an initial, swift assessment for substances of abuse. Although Screening is a cost-efficient approach to exclude drug use in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be legally acceptable. Any samples initially found positive in Screening necessitate a subsequent confirmation.
If a sample tests presumptively positive during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen and is processed for Extraction. In this phase, substances are extracted from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to other techniques (such as urine or oral fluid), which makes hair drug testing the most challenging methodology to execute.
Confirmation of any positive result from Screening is performed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Samples presumed positive are cleansed prior to confirmation as necessary. The entire lab procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is supervised under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair certification and adherence to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Benefits of hair drug testing:
Drawbacks:
Note: While often called "hair follicle tests", the test itself examines the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp
In Saugus, CA, hair testing offers significant advantages over urine testing.
The extended detection window of hair follicle testing in Saugus, CA is a major benefit.
Hair follicle testing in Saugus, CA is a tamper-resistant method.
Accredited Drug Testing in Saugus, CA, offers convenient nationwide testing locations.
The process with Accredited Drug Testing in Saugus, CA is simple and confidential.
Businesses in Saugus, CA appreciate the affordable pricing and fast turnaround of hair testing.
Hair follicle drug tests in Saugus, CA are renowned for their accuracy and rapid results.
Saugus, CA businesses gain peace of mind and ensure compliance with drug-free policies through hair testing.
