Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective means for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair can offer a prolonged history of drug and alcohol patterns by encapsulating biomarkers within the strands of hair as they grow. Gathered near the scalp, hair can reveal a detection window of up to roughly 3 months for substance use. Hair is straightforward to collect, relatively tamper-resistant, and convenient to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches, containing around 200 hair strands (roughly equivalent to a #2 pencil's width), will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation purposes. For higher specificity tests like EtG, additional testing, or panels over 10, a 150mg sample is advised. Using a jeweler’s scale to measure the sample is recommended. If scalp hair is not accessible, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. 'Head hair' specifically refers to scalp hair alone, whereas 'body hair' includes all other hair types such as facial or axillary hair.
Process Overview
The drug test result processing in a laboratory entails four critical stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning refers to the initial handling of a sample within a laboratory's infrastructure. It comprises validating the correct sealing and shipping of the sample, generating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing additional data entry not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is an initial swift analysis for potential drug substances. While Screening is an economical means to exclude drug usage in the bulk of samples, any positive result requires confirmation for legal admissibility. Presumptively positive samples in Screening necessitate a further confirmation process.
Should a sample indicate a presumptive positive during Screening, more hair is extracted from the original sample to prepare for Extraction. At this phase, drugs are retrieved from hair at concentrations considerably lower than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), thus making hair drug screening the most challenging methodology to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positive findings undergo a washing process before confirmation when needed. The entire process from Accessioning to Confirmation adheres to both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While frequently termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.
When comparing hair follicle testing to traditional urine tests in Warrensburg, IL, the benefits are striking. Hair testing exhibits superior detection accuracy and reliability, offering a window into drug use that outperforms urine testing considerably. This method ensures comprehensive insights, beneficial for various scenarios.
Hair follicle tests in Warrensburg, IL offer a remarkable extended detection window, capturing drug use history effectively over 90 days. This long span provides employers with in-depth analysis of an individual's substance history, making it a powerful tool for assessing long-term substance usage patterns.
The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle testing is a testament to its reliability in Warrensburg, IL. This method significantly curtails the chance of sample tampering, delivering definitive and trustworthy results. The difficulty in altering hair samples sets this testing apart as a dependable choice.
With a network of nationwide testing centers, including local sites in Warrensburg, IL, accessing testing services is both easy and convenient. This extensive availability ensures a seamless process, allowing individuals to quickly and comfortably participate in testing procedures.
The process in Warrensburg, IL is both simple and confidential for ordering, testing, and receiving results. Addressing privacy concerns, this method ensures a straightforward and secure experience, aiming to make the process as stress-free and user-friendly as possible.
Offering affordable pricing and fast turnaround in Warrensburg, IL, hair follicle testing presents valuable solutions for companies of all sizes. Competitive rates combined with quick results provide excellent value, catering to diverse business needs efficiently.
In Warrensburg, IL, hair follicle drug tests are prized for their accuracy and speed. These tests offer precise detection of substance use, providing results that are both reliable and quick to obtain. Thanks to their advanced technology, potential substance use is identified with a high level of detail, ensuring confidence in the outcomes.
Employers in Warrensburg, IL benefit from hair follicle testing by ensuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This testing diminishes legal risks and bolsters safety across work environments, offering peace of mind through stringent adherence to professional standards.
