Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as a crucial technique for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The strands of hair capture biomarkers within their fibers during growth, providing a substantial historical record of substances. If sampled near the scalp, hair can indicate alcohol and drug consumption over a span of up to roughly three months. This method is straightforward to collect, not easily tampered with, and convenient for shipping.
A 1.5-inch segment comprising roughly 200 hair strands (about the thickness of a pencil) found nearest to the scalp offers 100mg of hair, which is the optimal quantity for testing and validation. For procedures such as EtG, additional testing, or examining beyond 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advisable. It is suggested to use a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent sample of body hair can be used. When discussing head hair, it signifies scalp hair alone. Body hair implies all other hair forms (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The core stages involved in laboratory handling of a drug test outcome consist of Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning pertains to the initial integration of a sample into the lab’s system. This encompasses confirming proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigning it a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any further data entry that the electronic chain of custody system doesn’t provide.
Screening entails a primary swift examination for drugs of abuse. While Screening serves as an efficient and economic means to eliminate drug use in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation for court admissibility. Samples suspected to be positive during Screening necessitate an additional confirmation process.
If Screening suggests a sample to be positive, extra hair from the original specimen is extracted in preparation for Extraction. At this stage, drugs are extracted from hair, at much reduced concentrations compared to other practices (like urine or oral fluid), making hair drug tests the most intricate to conduct.
Confirmation of any positive Screening result is achieved through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods. Before confirmation, all presumptive positive samples undergo washing if needed. The complete laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined following both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and the standards accredited to ISO / IEC 17025.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Even though termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis pertains to the hair strand and not the subscalp follicle itself.
In Altona, IL, hair follicle testing outperforms traditional urine tests in several aspects:
The extended detection window of hair follicle tests in Altona, IL is a major advantage.
In Altona, IL, hair follicle testing is a tamper-resistant option for drug screening.
Our extensive network of convenient nationwide testing locations includes Altona, IL.
The hair follicle testing process in Altona, IL is simple and confidential.
In Altona, IL, we offer affordable pricing and swift service for hair follicle testing.
Hair follicle testing in Altona, IL ensures fast, accurate, and reliable results for detecting substance use.
Employers in Altona, IL can enjoy compliance and peace of mind with hair follicle testing.
