Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Employing hair testing is recognized as an effective approach for identifying alcohol and drug consumption. Hair carries a prolonged record of substances by embedding biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When collected near the scalp, it can offer nearly a 3-month detection timeframe for alcohol and drugs. Hair sampling is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.
A 1.5-inch section consisting of roughly 200 hairs (approximately the girth of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp provides 100mg, ideal for screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or over 10-panel tests, a specimen of 150mg is advisable. It is recommended to weigh the specimen with a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn’t available, an equivalent amount of body hair may be used. When we refer to head hair, we mean scalp hair exclusively. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (such as facial and axillary).
Process Overview
The lab processing of a drug test result involves four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning comprises the initial integration of a sample into a lab's database, which includes verifying proper sealing and shipping, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing additional data entry not included in an electronic custody chain.
Screening involves a preliminary assessment for drug presence. While it’s a cost-friendly method to exclude drug usage in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation for court admissibility. Any samples showing presumptive positives in Screening need subsequent confirmation.
Should a sample show presumptive positivity during Screening, more hair is extracted from the specimen and prepared for Extraction. In this stage, drugs are retrieved from hair at much lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is the hardest method to execute.
If a screening yields a positive, verification is done using techniques like GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positivity are washed before confirmation when necessary. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and certification to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly termed as "hair follicle tests," the test actually assesses the hair strand, not the scalp hair follicle.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in La Salle, MN: Hair testing proves superior with its longer detection window, unlike urine tests which only capture recent usage.
Extended Detection Window in La Salle, MN: Hair follicle testing provides an expanded look at substance use over time, up to 90 days, giving employers a detailed view of potential hires or employees' drug habits. This extended window helps make informed decisions about someone’s drug use history and aids in promoting a drug-free workplace efficiently.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in La Salle, MN: Hair follicle testing effectively reduces risks of sample tampering.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in La Salle, MN: With testing centers widely available across the country, getting tested is both quick and hassle-free.
Simple, Confidential Process in La Salle, MN: Hair follicle testing offers a straightforward process:
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in La Salle, MN: Our competitive pricing paired with swift processing ensures excellent value.
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in La Salle, MN: Hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their precision and quick turnaround.
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in La Salle, MN: By choosing hair follicle testing, employers ensure adherence to drug-free workplace policies.
