Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is increasingly viewed as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a comprehensive history of substance intake by encapsulating biomarkers within the fibres of the strand as it grows. When hair is clipped close to the scalp, it can reveal a detection period of up to three months for alcohol and drugs. The process of collecting hair is straightforward, although tampering with the sample is not easy, and it is convenient to transport.
A sample size of 1.5 inches consisting of approximately 200 hair strands (equivalent to a #2 pencil's thickness) near the scalp will provide 100mg, which is optimal for both screening and validating results. For EtG, additional substances, and tests exceeding 10 panels, a quantity of 150mg is advised. Utilizing a jeweler's scale is recommended for weighing the sample. If scalp hair is inaccessible, an equal quantity of body hair may be used. References to head hair imply scalp hair, while body hair pertains to other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The drug testing in a lab involves four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes the preliminary processing of the sample into the lab's database. This step ensures the sample was properly sealed and shipped, allocates a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any data entry not covered by an electronic tracking system.
Screening executes an initial rapid inspection for abusive substances. Though it is a cost-efficient approach to dismiss substance use for most samples, court admissibility requires any positive screening result to be confirmed. Samples showing potential positives in Screening necessitate further confirmation.
Should a sample indicate a potential positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the original sample to prepare for Extraction. This step extracts substances at concentrations lower than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluids), which makes hair drug screening one of the trickiest methodologies.
Any positive result in Screening is verified using techniques such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Samples identified as potential positives are cleansed as required before confirmation. The overall lab procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, adheres to both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and complies with ISO/IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the examination itself targets the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
The choice of hair follicle testing over urine testing in Shaw, MS, presents numerous advantages. With superior detection accuracy, hair tests offer unmatched dependability for determining substance use history.
Hair follicle testing in Shaw, MS, boasts an extended detection window for evaluating drug use. Employers benefit by acquiring a thorough understanding of an individual’s substance history.
Utilizing hair follicle tests in Shaw, MS, significantly mitigates the risk of sample adulteration. This tamper-resistant testing method assures reliable and unquestionable results.
Shaw, MS, benefits from the convenience of nationwide testing centers with local services. This ensures rapid, stress-free access to testing solutions without hassle.
The process in Shaw, MS, is designed to be simple and confidential, making it easy for users to order, conduct, and receive results. Privacy and ease of use are paramount.
In Shaw, MS, hair follicle testing offers affordable options alongside fast results. Companies of all sizes benefit from competitive pricing and rapid process times.
In Shaw, MS, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their quick and accurate results. These tests deliver high precision in substance detection, making them superior to many other methods. Speed and accuracy are paramount, ensuring substances are identified efficiently.
Hair follicle testing in Shaw, MS, ensures compliance with workplace policies, fostering a safer work environment. Employers gain peace of mind with reduced legal risks associated with drug policy violations.
