Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is recognized as a significant method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a prolonged history of alcohol and other substances by encasing biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When cut close to the scalp, hair can reveal a detection period of up to roughly three months for alcohol and other substances. It's easy to collect, hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of approximately 200 hair strands (comparable to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp, will provide 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or assessments beyond 10 panels, a specimen weighing 150mg is advised. Using a jeweler’s scale to measure the sample is recommended. If scalp hair isn't available, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be gathered. When we mention head hair, it refers exclusively to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (e.g., facial, axillary).
Process Overview
The laboratory steps to process a drug test result encompass four main stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the initial step of integrating a sample into a lab's system. This process ensures the sample was correctly sealed and transported, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any supplementary data input absent from an electronic chain of custody framework.
Screening is a preliminary rapid check for substance abuse. Although Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be verified to be legally valid. Any samples presumed positive during Screening necessitate a subsequent confirmation.
If the Screening stage yields a presumptive positive, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for the Extraction phase. At this point, drugs are sourced from hair at a much lower concentration compared to other techniques (such as urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is the most challenging methodology to execute.
Any positive results from screening are verified via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to confirmation, when necessary. The complete lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized according to both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While commonly called "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually examines the hair strand and not the follicle found under the scalp.
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Understanding Extended Detection Window in Waverly, KY
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In Waverly, KY, quick and precise hair follicle drug testing stands out for its remarkable efficiency.
Accuracy
Compliance and Peace of Mind in Waverly, KY