Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Seen as a robust means for detecting drug and alcohol consumption, hair testing offers a long-term view of substance use by encasing biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair. Collecting hair near the scalp can present up to about a 3-month scope for detection of alcohol and drugs. Hair is uncomplicated to gather, challenging to tamper with, and effortless to send.
Gathering a 1.5-inch sample comprising roughly 200 hair strands (around the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp produces 100mg of hair, the optimal sample for both screening and confirmation. For tests like EtG, add-ons, and those exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advisable. We suggest weighing the specimen on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair cannot be sourced, an equivalent amount of body hair should be collected. When mentioning head hair, we mean scalp hair exclusively. Body hair refers to any other type (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
There are four primary steps in the lab processing of a drug test result: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning pertains to the preliminary processing of a sample within a laboratory's framework. This covers verifying the proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fulfilling any extra data entry not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening serves as an initial swift check for drug abuse. Although Screening offers a cost-efficient way to rule out drug use in the majority of specimens, a positive screen necessitates confirmation to be court-admissible. Samples that are presumptively positive in Screening must undergo secondary confirmation.
When a specimen is presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and readied for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to other methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which makes hair drug screening the most challenging methodology to execute.
Any positive screening result undergoes Confirmation using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive specimens are pre-washed prior to confirmation as necessary. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed 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: Commonly labeled as "hair follicle tests", this test itself examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Downs, KS lies in its superior detection accuracy. Unlike traditional urine tests, hair follicle tests offer a broader detection spectrum.
Extended Detection Window in Downs, KS, is a feature of hair follicle testing that provides insight over a 90-day period. Employers gain a thorough understanding of an individual's substance use history.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Downs, KS, revolutionizes reliability in drug testing. Hair follicle tests are inherently designed to minimize tampering risks.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and local availability in Downs, KS make it simple to access drug testing services. Accredited Drug Testing ensures widespread accessibility.
Simple, Confidential Process in Downs, KS guarantees privacy throughout testing. Ordering, conducting, and obtaining results are anonymous and straightforward.
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Downs, KS make hair follicle testing an excellent economic choice. Our competitive pricing models offer value while the swift processing of results enhances efficiency.
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Downs, KS, are achievable through hair follicle drug tests. These tests stand out due to their swift processing and unmatched precision in detecting substances.
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Downs, KS is enhanced when opting for hair follicle testing. This method supports adherence to drug-free workplace policy.