Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Utilizing hair testing has become a recognized method for efficiently identifying alcohol and drug use. Hair strands offer an extended historical record of drug and alcohol consumption by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the continuously growing hair. When hair is sampled close to the scalp, it can reveal a history of alcohol and drug consumption spanning up to roughly three months. The collection of hair is straightforward, it is moderately resistant to tampering, and it is convenient for shipping.
A segment measuring 1.5 inches consisting of approximately 200 hair strands (comparable in size to a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp can yield 100mg of hair, which serves as the optimal quantity for both screening and confirmation. For tests involving EtG, additional diagnostics, and/or panels exceeding 10, obtaining 150mg of the sample is advised. We suggest employing a jeweler’s scale to determine the sample’s weight. In cases where scalp hair cannot be acquired, a similar amount of body hair may be gathered. References to head hair imply scalp hair exclusively, whereas body hair encompasses all other forms (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The primary phases in the lab processing of a drug test outcome include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails the initial incorporation of a sample into the lab’s systems. This step ensures the sample was properly sealed and sent, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any pending data input absent from an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening consists of a preliminary rapid evaluation for substances of abuse. Although Screening provides a budget-friendly option to eliminate drug use in the bulk of collected samples, a positive screen demands validation to stand in court. All samples showing presumptive positives during Screening necessitate a subsequent confirmation.
When a sample exhibits a presumptive positive during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and readied for Extraction. In this process, drug compounds are released from the hair at a concentration much lower than other methods (such as in urine or saliva), making hair drug screening a challenging methodology.
Confirmation of any positive screening results is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. Each sample indicating presumptive positives is cleaned prior to confirmation as required. The comprehensive lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite commonly being termed "hair follicle tests", the test actually examines the hair strand rather than the hair follicle beneath the scalp
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Georgetown, IN
Extended Detection Window in Georgetown, IN
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Georgetown, IN
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Georgetown, IN
Simple, Confidential Process in Georgetown, IN
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