Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Testing hair has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged record of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the strands as they grow. Hair collected near the scalp can reveal up to a 90-day history of alcohol and drug use. It is easy to collect, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of approximately 200 hairs (similar in thickness to a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp, equates to 100mg, which is ideal for initial and confirmatory testing. For EtG and tests beyond 10 panels, a 150mg sample is recommended. We suggest using a jeweler's scale to measure the specimen. If scalp hair is inaccessible, an equal portion of body hair is suitable. References to head hair indicate only scalp hair. Body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Procedure Summary
The primary stages in laboratory processing of a drug test result are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the preliminary integration of a sample into a lab's system. This step includes ensuring proper sealing and shipping of the specimen, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data entry omitted by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening serves as an initial, swift assessment for drug presence. Though cost-effective, a positive result in Screening requires confirmation for legal admissibility. Any sample preliminarily positive in Screening necessitates additional verification.
Presumptive positives in the Screening phase lead to further hair being taken from the sample for Extraction. During this phase, substances are extracted at lower concentrations than in other tests (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening more challenging.
GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods confirm any positive from Screening. Presumed positive samples undergo washing before confirmation if necessary. The entire process from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes review under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standard and the certification to ISO / IEC 17025.
Hair drug testing benefits:
Drawbacks:
Note: Though often termed as "hair follicle tests", the examination itself focuses on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
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