Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair examinations have gained recognition as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged history of alcohol and drug intake by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the hair as it grows. When collected near the scalp, hair can reveal up to a roughly 3-month window for alcohol and drug detection. Hair is easy to collect, relatively challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.
A 1.5-inch strand collection of approximately 200 hair strands (comparable in size to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the perfect sample for analysis and verification. For EtG, additional testing, and/or panels above 10 tests, 150mg of the sample is advised. It’s recommended to weigh the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn’t available, a similar amount of body hair can be collected. When referencing head hair, we solely mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the initial step where a specimen is introduced into a lab’s system. This includes confirming that the specimen was appropriately sealed and transported, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any other data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening entails a preliminary rapid assessment for drug abuse. While Screening offers an economical means to exclude drug use in most specimens, a positive screen must be confirmed for court admissibility. Any samples suspected of being positive in Screening require subsequent confirmation.
If a sample tests presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is sampled from the original specimen and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at a much lower concentration compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging method to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive specimens are cleansed prior to confirmation if necessary. The entire laboratory processing, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the test actually examines the hair strand instead of the follicle beneath the scalp.
Hair follicle tests are preferred over traditional urine tests in Paden, OK for various reasons. The primary advantage is superior detection accuracy.
One of the main advantages of hair follicle testing in Paden, OK is its extended detection window. These tests can detect drug use for up to 90 days.
Hair follicle testing in Paden, OK is known for its tamper-resistant nature. This method significantly minimizes the risk of sample adulteration, ensuring the integrity of the results.
Paden, OK residents benefit from the convenience of nationwide testing locations. With centers across the country, access to testing services is quick and uncomplicated.
In Paden, OK, our testing services offer a simple and confidential process. From ordering to receiving results, the entire procedure prioritizes user privacy and ease.
Accredited Drug Testing in Paden, OK provides affordable pricing and fast turnaround. Our competitive pricing ensures accessibility for businesses of all sizes, while the quick result times offer efficiency.
In Paden, OK, hair follicle drug tests deliver fast, accurate, and reliable results. These tests are renowned for their precision in identifying substance use.
Using hair follicle testing in Paden, OK provides compliance and peace of mind for employers.