Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains long-term biochemical markers of alcohol and drugs within the fibers of developing hair strands. When cut near the scalp, hair can offer a detection timeframe of up to approximately three months for both alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is easy, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches in length and encompassing roughly 200 hair strands (equivalent to the size of a #2 pencil) close to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the optimal quantity for analysis. For EtG, additional exams, and/or screenings beyond 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advised. We suggest utilizing a jeweler’s scale for precise measurement. If scalp hair is not available, a corresponding quantity of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, we are specifically referring to scalp hair. Body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Summary
The four essential phases in the laboratory processing of a drug test result consist of Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes the initial entry of a sample into a laboratory’s database. This process involves checking that the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data entry not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening involves a preliminary rapid test for identifying abuse drugs. Although Screening offers a cost-efficient method to eliminate drug usage in most samples, a positive screen must be verified to be acceptable in legal proceedings. Samples that presumptively test positive in Screening require further confirmation.
If a specimen is presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other techniques (ex. urine or oral fluid), which highlights why hair drug assessment is the most challenging method to execute.
Verification of any positive screening outcome is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methodologies. All presumptive positive samples are cleaned before confirmation as required. The complete lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes scrutiny under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Benefits of hair drug testing:
Drawbacks:
Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests", the actual analysis is performed on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp
Why does hair follicle testing outshine urine testing in Hershey, NE? It's simple.
In Hershey, NE, the extended detection window of hair follicle testing plays a crucial role.
In Hershey, NE, reduce the risk of sample tampering with hair follicle tests.
Enjoy the convenience of widespread testing centers from Hershey, NE.
Experience a simple, confidential testing process in Hershey, NE.
Competitive pricing and rapid results are key in Hershey, NE.
The precision and speed of hair follicle drug tests are unparalleled. In Hershey, NE, these tests are celebrated for their ability to deliver accurate detection of substance use.
Hair follicle testing ensures compliance with workplace drug policies in Hershey, NE.