Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair assessments are now recognized as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The fibers of hair strands capture biomarkers, providing a long-term record of alcohol and other substance use. When collected near the scalp, hair offers up to a 3-month window for detecting alcohol and drugs. Hair's collection process is straightforward, making it hard to tamper with and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch segment containing roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp produces 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG enhancements or tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg of hair is suggested. Using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample is advisable. If scalp hair isn't available, a similar volume of body hair can be used. Head hair specifically refers to scalp hair only, while body hair covers all other types, including facial and axillary hair.
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the step where a sample is initially entered into the laboratory’s system. This involves checking that the sample was appropriately sealed and delivered, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any missing data entry not included by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is a preliminary quick examination for substance abuse. Although Screening is a cost-efficient method to identify drug usage in most samples, a positive screen needs verification to be court admissible. Samples that are presumptively positive during Screening require further confirmation.
Presumptively positive samples during Screening require additional hair extraction from the initial sample to be prepared for Extraction. In this stage, drugs are extracted from hair at lower concentrations compared to other methods like urine or oral fluid, making hair drug screening one of the more challenging methodologies to conduct.
Confirmation of a positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, any presumptive positive samples undergo washing as needed. The entire laboratory process, from Accessioning through to Confirmation, is reviewed under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite often being called "hair follicle tests", the actual test examines the hair strand, not the hair follicle beneath the scalp
In Taulbee, KY, hair follicle testing has emerged as the superior choice over traditional urine tests.
Hair follicle testing offers an extensive detection period, making it ideal for employers in Taulbee, KY seeking a thorough overview of an employee's substance use.
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In Taulbee, KY, the process for hair follicle testing is designed to be easy and confidential.
Affordability and rapid service are cornerstones of our hair follicle testing in Taulbee, KY.
The efficacy of hair follicle tests in Taulbee, KY is unrivaled, providing results that are both fast and accurate, surpassing alternative drug testing methods.
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