Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair can reveal a lengthy timeline of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the strands of growing hair. When collected near the scalp, hair can indicate drug and alcohol usage for up to about three months. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat hard to tamper with, and effortlessly shippable.
A 1.5-inch sample consisting of around 200 hair strands (comparable to the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for screening and confirmation processes. For testing EtG, add-ons, and tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample is recommended. If scalp hair is not present, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. The term head hair specifically refers to scalp hair, while body hair includes all other types such as facial and axillary.
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result comprises four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning incorporates the initial integration of a sample into a lab’s system. This phase involves verifying that the sample was correctly sealed and transported, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data input not included by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is a swift initial assessment for substances of abuse. While cost-effective for ruling out drug use in most samples, any positive Screening result must be confirmed to be valid in legal settings. Any samples with a presumptive positive result during Screening require additional confirmation.
When a sample tests presumptive positive during Screening, supplementary hair is extracted from the original sample for the Extraction stage. In Extraction, drugs are withdrawn from hair at concentrations significantly lower than those found in other techniques (for example, urine or oral fluid), rendering hair drug screening notably challenging to perform.
GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS techniques are used to confirm any positive screening outcomes. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as needed. This entire laboratory procedure, from Accessioning through Confirmation, is conducted in accordance with both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 standards accreditation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While frequently termed "hair follicle tests", the examination analyzes the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Hair follicle testing provides significant benefits over standard urine tests in Saddlebrooke, MO. Its superior detection accuracy ensures a comprehensive assessment of drug use.
Compared to urine tests, hair follicle methods offer advanced reliability due to extended detection windows and reduced risk of manipulation.
This enhanced precision ensures a more complete picture of substance use, making hair tests a preferred choice for many organizations and entities.
In Saddlebrooke, MO, hair follicle testing stands out with its extended detection window, capable of tracing drug use for up to 90 days. This allows employers to gain a thorough understanding of an individual's substance history.
This broadened window of detection is invaluable for reviewing an employee's or applicant's past behavior, offering insight into their ability to maintain a drug-free lifestyle over time.
Hair follicle tests in Saddlebrooke, MO are renowned for their tamper-resistant design, significantly minimizing the risk of sample adulteration. The integrity of results is thus enhanced, ensuring unquestionable outcomes.
This robustness makes hair follicle tests more trustworthy, providing fit-for-purpose results that are difficult to manipulate, thereby maintaining the credibility of the testing process.
With convenient nationwide testing centers, including local facilities in Saddlebrooke, MO, accessing hair follicle testing is quick and hassle-free.
This broad network of testing locations ensures that individuals and employers alike benefit from streamlined services, minimizing inconvenience and facilitating smooth testing operations.
In Saddlebrooke, MO, the process for hair follicle testing is designed to be both simple and confidential, addressing any privacy concerns individuals may have.
Ordering, taking, and receiving results is straightforward, reducing complexity while ensuring that sensitive information remains protected throughout the testing cycle.
In Saddlebrooke, MO, we offer competitive pricing structures for hair follicle testing, coupled with rapid turnaround. This combination ensures excellent value for businesses of every size, ensuring affordability.
With these benefits, companies can experience peace of mind knowing they receive high-quality services without compromising their budgets.
The hair follicle drug testing in Saddlebrooke, MO offers superior precision and swiftness, guaranteeing dependable results swiftly. Its high accuracy rate is a boon for detecting substance use effectively.
The speed with which results are delivered further underscores the reliability of hair follicle drug tests, ensuring that decisions can be made promptly based on solid evidence.
By employing hair follicle testing in Saddlebrooke, MO, employers ensure adherence to drug-free workplace policies, thereby averting potential legal challenges while bolstering safety measures.
This ensures peace of mind, as employers can be confident in a compliant workforce, paving the way for a secure and productive work environment.
