Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has gained recognition as an effective method for identifying alcohol and drug consumption. Hair provides a comprehensive timeline of substance use by sealing biomarkers within the strand's fibers as it grows. When cut near the scalp, it can reflect drug and alcohol presence for up to a 90-day period. Hair is straightforward to collect, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches, comprising around 200 strands (comparable to the thickness of a #2 pencil), gathered closest to the scalp, yields approximately 100mg, which is an ideal quantity for both screening and confirmation. For EtG add-ons and tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg is preferred. It is advisable to weigh this on a precision scale. If scalp hair isn't available, a proportional quantity of body hair can be used. "Head hair" specifically refers to scalp hair, while "body hair" encompasses all other varieties (such as facial or axillary hair).
Process Overview
The principal stages in processing a laboratory drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails the preliminary input of a specimen into a lab's records, which involves ensuring the specimen's seal and dispatch are intact, assigning it a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any remaining data entry that might not be covered by an electronic custody chain.
Screening offers a preliminary assessment for substances of abuse. Although Screening offers a budget-friendly method to dismiss drug use for many specimens, confirmation of a positive screen is necessary for courtroom acceptance. Samples that test presumptive positive in Screening undergo further confirmation.
If a specimen exhibits presumptive positivity during Screening, additional hair is sourced from the initial sample for the Extraction phase. Here, lower concentration drug extraction occurs, unlike other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), underscoring the complexity of hair drug testing.
Recognition of any positive Screening outcome is achieved using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS technology. All presumptive positive specimens are cleansed pre-confirmation as required. The full procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated both under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair regulation and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly dubbed "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually pertains to the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Trowbridge Park, MI: Hair follicle tests are superior to traditional urine tests in various aspects.
Extended Detection Window in Trowbridge Park, MI: Hair follicle testing provides a broader detection timeframe.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Trowbridge Park, MI: Hair follicle tests minimize the likelihood of tampering.
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Simple, Confidential Process in Trowbridge Park, MI: The process is straightforward and private.
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Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Trowbridge Park, MI: Hair follicle drug tests deliver quick, precise, and trustworthy results.
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