Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis is now recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged history of substance intake by capturing biomarkers within the filaments of the growing hair strand. When taken from near the scalp, hair can provide up to a three-month detection period for both alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch piece of approximately 200 hair strands (roughly the diameter of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels beyond ten, a specimen size of 150mg is suggested. It's advisable to measure the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair may be used. When mentioning head hair, we refer exclusively to scalp hair. Body hair pertains to all other hair types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
There are four primary steps in the lab processing of a drug test result: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning involves the sample's initial entry into the lab's system. This process ensures the sample was correctly sealed and sent, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fills in any missing information not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening provides an initial rapid assessment for drug presence. While Screening is an economical means to exclude drug use in most cases, a positive screen requires confirmation before being accepted in legal proceedings. Any samples testing presumptively positive during Screening need a confirmatory analysis.
Should the sample test presumptively positive at the Screening stage, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and set up for Extraction. In this stage, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug testing is the most challenging methodology to execute.
Confirmation of any positive Screening result is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation if necessary. The full laboratory procedure from Accessioning through to Confirmation is inspected under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair certification and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 criteria.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Often termed as "hair follicle tests", the test examines the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Hair follicle testing in Lynchburg, OH, stands out over traditional urine tests due to its unmatched detection capability. Unlike urine tests, hair testing offers a more extended perspective on substance use, capturing a broader timespan of drug activity. This heightened sensitivity and accuracy make hair testing a superior choice in various investigative circumstances.
One of the significant advantages of hair follicle testing in Lynchburg, OH, is its extended detection window of up to 90 days. This feature allows employers to gain comprehensive insights into an individual's drug use history, establishing a clearer picture of their behavioral patterns and ensuring informed recruitment or policy decisions.
In Lynchburg, OH, hair follicle tests are lauded for their tamper-resistant nature, significantly reducing the possibility of sample manipulation. This testing method ensures results that are trustworthy and beyond dispute, safeguarding the integrity and reliability of substance abuse assessments.
Residents of Lynchburg, OH, and beyond have convenient access to hair follicle testing due to our widespread network of testing locations. This abundance of centers guarantees that individuals can obtain testing services without unnecessary delay or inconvenience, no matter where they reside.
In Lynchburg, OH, the hair follicle testing process is designed to be straightforward and private, addressing concerns about confidentiality. The ease of ordering, submitting samples, and accessing results ensures that all participants have a hassle-free experience while maintaining the security of their personal information.
Lynchburg, OH, offers competitive pricing and rapid result turnaround for hair follicle testing. The affordability and quick processing make it an attractive proposition for businesses of all sizes, ensuring that they receive excellent value without compromising on quality or timeliness of the results.
In Lynchburg, OH, hair follicle drug tests are recognized for delivering swift and dependable results. These tests are highly exact in detecting substance use, ensuring that individuals and organizations receive precise outcomes quickly. The reliability and speed with which these tests operate make them an essential tool in identifying drug use effectively and efficiently.
Employers in Lynchburg, OH, benefit from hair follicle testing by ensuring adherence to drug-free workplace standards. This testing helps reduce legal exposure and contributes to a safer work environment, providing peace of mind by upholding compliance with established policies and procedures.
