Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair examination is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair delivers a comprehensive timeline of alcohol and drug intake by embedding biomarkers within the strands of hair as they grow. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer a detection span of up to three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to gather, challenging to tamper with, and straightforward to transport.
A sample of 1.5 inches containing around 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the preferred amount for testing and validation. For tests such as EtG, add-ons, or analyses above 10 panels, 150mg of the hair is advised. It's suggested to measure the hair on a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair not be available, an equivalent quantity of body hair is acceptable. References to head hair specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types, such as facial and axillary hair.
Process Overview
The lab processing of a drug test result involves four main phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the start of processing a sample into the laboratory’s database. This step includes ensuring the sample was properly sealed and shipped, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any remaining data input that is absent from an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is the initial swift examination for drugs of abuse. Screening is a cost-effective strategy to deny drug usage for most samples; however, a positive screen must be verified to be legally acceptable. Any samples that are tentatively positive during Screening require a follow-up confirmation.
If a sample is tentatively positive during Screening, additional hair from the original specimen is utilized for Extraction. At this stage, drugs are extracted from hair at a lower concentration compared to other methods such as urine or oral fluid, making hair drug screening the most complex methodology.
Confirmation of any positive results from screening is performed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS methods. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to confirmation, as needed. The entire process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests," they analyze the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Millerton, IA
Extended Detection Window in Millerton, IA
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Millerton, IA
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