Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. It offers an extended timeline of substance use through biomarkers trapped in the hair strand as it grows. A sample collected near the scalp can yield a detection period of roughly three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch section comprising about 200 hairs (comparable to a #2 pencil) positioned near the scalp produces about 100mg, the optimal sample for analysis. In cases of EtG, additional requirements, or tests of more than 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advised. It's suggested to measure the specimen with a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, equivalent body hair may be gathered. "Head hair" specifies scalp hair solely, whereas "body hair" includes other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
Key stages in processing a drug test result in a lab include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails integrating a sample into the laboratory system initially. This process verifies secure sealing and shipping of the sample, allocates a random Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and finishes any incomplete data entry lacking from an electronic custody system.
Screening conducts a quick preliminary check for substances of abuse. Although Screening provides a cost-effective approach for eliminating drug use on most samples, a positive outcome necessitates confirmation for court validity. All Screening samples testing presumptively positive need a follow-up confirmation.
Should a sample test presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original sample for the Extraction phase. During Extraction, substances are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluids), making hair drug testing notably challenging.
Positive screening confirmations occur through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Before Confirmation, all presumptive positives undergo a wash. The complete procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, undergoes review under CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and complies with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although termed "hair follicle tests", the test analyzes the hair strand, not the follicle under the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Rushville, MO
Extended Detection Window in Rushville, MO
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Rushville, MO
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Rushville, MO
Simple, Confidential Process in Rushville, MO
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Rushville, MO
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Rushville, MO
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Rushville, MO