Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
An effective method for detecting drug and alcohol use is hair testing. Hair offers an extended timeline of alcohol and drug consumption by embedding biomarkers in the strands as they grow. When collected near the scalp, hair can demonstrate drug and alcohol use within an approximately 3-month timeframe. Hair is easy to obtain, relatively hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.
Gathering a 1.5-inch length of around 200 hair strands (roughly the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp results in 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, or tests exceeding 10 panels, it is suggested to have 150mg of the specimen. We recommend using a jeweler’s scale to measure the sample. If scalp hair is not available, a comparable quantity of body hair is acceptable. When we talk about head hair, it specifically means scalp hair only. Body hair encompasses all other types of hair (such as facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The processing of a drug test result in a laboratory involves four essential steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes the first processing of a sample into a lab’s system. This step ensures that the sample was properly sealed and shipped, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional data entry not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is a preliminary check for drugs of abuse. While it is a cost-efficient means to exclude drug usage in the majority of samples, a positive screen must be substantiated to be acceptable in legal settings. Any test samples that show a presumptive positive in this phase require a follow-up confirmation.
If a sample displays a presumptive positive during Screening, additional hair is retrieved from the original specimen for Extraction. During Extraction, drugs are isolated from hair in significantly lower concentrations than seen in other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), thus making hair drug analysis the most challenging method to execute.
Confirmation for any positive screening outcome is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples are washed prior to confirmation if necessary. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is performed under the oversight of both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite frequently being called "hair follicle tests", the examination actually involves analyzing the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp
Why Hair Follicle Testing reigns superior over urine tests in Morristown, NY lies in its unmatched detection accuracy. Hair testing provides more reliability and exceptional benefits.
The extended detection window provided by hair follicle tests in Morristown, NY, is unparalleled. Employers receive a clearer picture of an individual’s substance history.
Hair follicle tests in Morristown, NY significantly minimize sample tampering risks, ensuring results are trustworthy and unquestionable.
Morristown, NY, boasts the convenience of nationwide testing service locations.
In Morristown, NY, the process for hair follicle testing is streamlined and private.
Affordable Pricing and swift results make hair follicle testing in Morristown, NY an excellent value.
In Morristown, NY, the precision and promptness of hair follicle drug tests stand out. They offer high accuracy in identifying substance use, making it an ideal choice.
Ensuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies in Morristown, NY is achievable with hair follicle testing.