Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is now recognized as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol usage. By capturing biomarkers within the strands of developing hair, it offers a long-term overview of substance use. When collected near the scalp, hair can detect substances, including alcohol, over an approximate three-month period. The simplicity of collection, difficulty of alteration, and ease of shipping make hair a practical sample.
Collecting a 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp will yield 100mg, ideal for screening and confirmation purposes. For EtG, add-ons, or tests beyond 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. It's prudent to weigh the specimen with a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, equivalent body hair may be used. 'Head hair' refers specifically to scalp hair, while 'body hair' covers other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
Four primary phases comprise the laboratory handling of a drug testing sample: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
During Accessioning, the lab system initially processes a sample. This phase ensures proper sealing and shipping, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and addresses any missing data not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening provides a preliminary assessment for drug abuse. Although this stage is cost-efficient for eliminating negative samples, a positive result from screening necessitates further confirmation for court admissibility. Presumptive positives from screening must undergo secondary confirmation.
If a sample tests as presumptive positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the original specimen for Extraction. This phase extracts drugs from hair at lower concentrations compared to methods like urine or oral fluid analyses, highlighting hair drug screening's complexity.
Confirmation for any positive screening outcome utilizes GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positives are washed before confirmation if needed. The entire lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite being termed "hair follicle tests," the analysis is conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in DeRidder, LA lies in its unmatched detection capability and reliability.
Hair tests far exceed traditional urine tests, offering a long detection duration and minimizing evasion risks. Employers benefit from the enhanced scrutiny, capturing a deeper substance history that urine tests cannot match, ensuring adherence to strict employment policies.
With an extended detection window, hair follicle testing in DeRidder, LA gives insight into drug use history for as long as 90 days. This broader scope enables employers to assess potential hires accurately, analyzing a consumption timeline that exceeds that of urine tests.
Hair follicle tests in DeRidder, LA offer a tamper-resistant method, significantly lowering adulteration risks.
The strict procedures surrounding hair sample collection and testing enhance reliability, resulting in results that are both credible and undeniable. Employers and court systems prefer this to guarantee integrity and authenticity in reporting.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and locally in DeRidder, LA ensure easy access to our services.
Our network of centers provides rapid, hassle-free testing, eliminating the difficulty of finding a testing site.
The process for hair follicle testing in DeRidder, LA is simple and confidential.
At every step, from order to result, privacy is maintained, addressing concerns users might have.
Offering affordable pricing and fast turnaround in DeRidder, LA, hair follicle testing projects value for businesses of all scales. Cost-effective pricing structures alongside quick result generation fortify decision-making processes.
This balance of price and efficiency helps companies manage resources while ensuring reliable test outcomes.
In DeRidder, LA, hair follicle drug testing delivers fast, accurate, and reliable results. The process is designed to swiftly detect substances, offering superior accuracy compared to other methods.
Businesses and individuals relying on hair testing gain confidence from the meticulous technique, which provides clear results and rapid turnover, ensuring timely decision-making and peace of mind.
Employers in DeRidder, LA enjoy compliance and peace of mind with hair follicle drug testing. The rigorous approach aligns with drug-free workplace policies, minimizing legal challenges and promoting a safe work environment.