Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as an effective method for identifying substance and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a prolonged record of alcohol and other substances by embedding biomarkers in the fibers of the developing hair shaft. When sourced near the scalp, hair can offer up to an estimated 3-month window for detecting alcohol and other substances. Hair is straightforward to collect, relatively hard to tamper with, and easy to deliver.
A 1.5-inch section consisting of around 200 hair strands (approximately the width of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the optimal quantity for analysis and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or assessments beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is advised. It is recommended to measure the specimen using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, a comparable amount of body hair can be gathered. When mentioning head hair, we reference only scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Summary
The four primary steps in laboratory processing of a drug test outcome are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning encompasses the preliminary handling of a specimen within a laboratory’s system. This involves checking that the specimen was sealed and shipped correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data entry not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening includes an initial swift assessment for substances of misuse. While Screening is a cost-effective approach to exclude substance usage in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be valid in court. Any samples that are provisionally positive in Screening necessitate a secondary verification.
If a sample is provisionally positive in the Screening phase, more hair is extracted from the initial specimen and prepared for Extraction. During this phase, substances are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug analysis is the most challenging method to execute.
Verification of any positive Screening result is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed prior to verification if necessary. The full laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Benefits of hair drug analysis:
Drawbacks:
Note: Although commonly referred to as "hair follicle analyses", the test itself examines the hair shaft and not the follicle below the scalp.
In Wilsonville, OR, hair follicle testing surpasses traditional urine tests due to its superior detection capabilities and reliability.
Hair follicle testing in Wilsonville, OR offers an extended detection window of up to 90 days.
Wilsonville, OR's hair follicle testing method is highly tamper-resistant, reducing the likelihood of sample adulteration.
Our convenient testing locations are available nationwide, including Wilsonville, OR.
The process in Wilsonville, OR is simple and confidential, addressing privacy concerns.
In Wilsonville, OR, we offer affordable pricing and fast turnaround for hair follicle tests.
Hair follicle tests in Wilsonville, OR are celebrated for their precision and speed.
For employers in Wilsonville, OR, using hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free policies.
