Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a long-term record of alcohol and drugs by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the growing strand. When taken near the scalp, hair offers up to about a 3-month timeframe for identifying alcohol and other substances. Hair collection is straightforward, generally resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch section from approximately 200 hair strands (akin to the thickness of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will yield 100mg, which is optimal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG tests, add-ons, and/or analyses exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of hair is advisable. It's best to check the specimen weight using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. The term "head hair" specifically references scalp hair. "Body hair" includes all non-scalp hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
Four primary steps are involved in the laboratory analysis of a drug test result: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the initial step of entering a specimen into the lab’s system. This step involves verifying the sample’s proper sealing and shipment, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing additional data input not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening involves a preliminary check for substances of abuse. Screening is a cost-effective method to eliminate drug usage in most samples, but any positive outcome needs confirmation for court validation. Any specimens that are presumptive positive in Screening need a follow-up confirmation.
For any sample that tests presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is obtained from the original sample and readied for Extraction. This involves retrieving drugs from hair at significantly lower concentrations than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug analysis one of the challenging methodologies.
Confirmation of positive screening results is performed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation as required. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Though often called "hair follicle tests," the analysis focuses on the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp
Hair follicle testing offers unparalleled advantages over urine tests in West Point, IA.
For those emphasizing accuracy, hair testing provides
Extended detection windows offer significant benefits through hair testing in West Point, IA.
Employers benefit from this extensive period, allowing them to make informed decisions.
Hair follicle testing boasts a
Reducing sample adulteration is a key advantage, making hair testing a preferred method.
Convenient testing in West Point, IA through our nationwide network makes the process seamless.
Our nationwide centers ensure:
Effortless process for drug testing in West Point, IA assures confidentiality and ease.
Privacy and ease are priorities in our testing process around West Point, IA.
Cost-effective testing and fast service in West Point, IA.
Quick turnaround ensures
Hair follicle drug tests provide rapid, precise, and reliable results in detecting substance use in West Point, IA.
Precision and speed are the hallmarks of hair drug testing.
Hair follicle testing assures compliance with drug-free policies in West Point, IA.
Employers gain
