Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis is now recognized as an effective approach for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair acts as a long-term archive of alcohol and other substances, storing biomarkers within the hair strand as it grows. When taken near the scalp, hair offers an up to approximately 90-day detection timeframe for alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, tampering with it is relatively hard, and it is convenient to transport.
A 1.5-inch sample comprising around 200 hair strands (roughly the diameter of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the ideal quantity for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, supplementary tests, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen. If head hair is not available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. For head hair, only scalp hair is considered. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result comprises four major steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails the initial sample integration into the laboratory's system. This involves assessing whether the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data input not available via an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is a preliminary swift evaluation for illicit substances. While Screening serves as a cost-efficient method to dismiss drug usage in most samples, a positive screen must be verified for court acceptance. Any samples that show a presumptive positive in Screening necessitate secondary confirmation.
If a sample indicates a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for Extraction. In this process, drugs are isolated from hair at a much reduced concentration compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug analysis the most challenging technique to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is achieved using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before confirmation when needed. The complete laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 criteria.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although often termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Testing Reigns Supreme in Northwye, MO centers on its superior detection over urine tests. Hair tests provide a detailed analysis of long-term substance use.
Hair follicle tests offer better reliability compared to urine tests in Northwye, MO, due to their ability to detect drug use over an extended period, thwarting any chance of manipulation.
The trademark advantage of hair follicle drug testing in Northwye, MO is its extended detection window.
In Northwye, MO, hair follicle tests significantly mitigate the risk of sample tampering.
With conveniently located centers across Northwye, MO, and a nationwide network, testing access is straightforward.
The hair follicle testing process is simple and confidential in Northwye, MO.
Competitive pricing and quick turnaround in Northwye, MO make hair follicle testing economically viable.
Hair follicle drug tests in Northwye, MO deliver fast, accurate, and reliable results. The thoroughness of these tests ensures high precision in identifying substance use. Speed meets accuracy with this method, providing rapid and precise insights into an individual's drug history.
In Northwye, MO, hair follicle testing stands out for its efficacy. High accuracy and swift results make it a preferred choice for many employers seeking dependable testing solutions.
Employers in Northwye, MO favor hair follicle testing for compliance assurance with drug-free policies, reducing legal risks.
