Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has gained recognition as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The hair captures drug and alcohol markers within its fibers during growth, offering an extended timeline of substance use. A sample taken near the scalp can reveal a 90-day consumption history for drugs and alcohol. Collecting hair is straightforward, relatively tamper-resistant, and convenient for shipping.
A 1.5-inch hair section comprising approximately 200 strands (around the diameter of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp gives about 100mg, which is optimal for both screening and confirmation protocols. For tests involving EtG, additional screenings, or panels exceeding 10 drugs, a 150mg specimen is advised. It is best to measure the sample weight using a jeweler’s scale. If head hair is not accessible, an equivalent quantity of body hair can serve as a substitute. For clarity, "head hair" denotes scalp hair, whereas "body hair" refers to all other hair types (including facial and axillary).
Process Overview
The primary phases in processing a drug test at the lab include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning involves integrating the sample into the lab’s system. This step ensures the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigns a random Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and finalizes additional data entries not captured by automated chain of custody processes.
Screening acts as a preliminary assessment for drug presence. While it effectively rules out most drug usage scenarios cost-efficiently, positive screenings need further confirmation for legal validation. Presumptive positive samples signify a requirement for a secondary verification step.
Presumptive positive results at the Screening phase necessitate more hair from the initial sample to be prepared for the Extraction process. This phase extracts drugs from hair at much lower concentrations compared to other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing particularly challenging to perform.
Confirmation of positive screens employs GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods. Any samples preliminarily indicated as positive are washed before confirmation if needed. From Accessioning to Confirmation, every step is scrutinized under CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair qualifications and accredited by ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite often being called "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand rather than the scalp’s hair follicle.
In the realm of drug testing, hair follicle assessments stand out in Ambridge Heights, PA.
Compared to traditional urine tests, hair tests provide superior accuracy and detection reliability.
The extended detection capabilities of hair assessments offer a comprehensive view of substance use.
Hair follicle testing offers an extended detection window, tracking substances for up to 90 days.
This method provides a thorough overview of an individual’s substance use history to employers.
Such a prolonged detection period allows for a detailed understanding of employee behaviors.
Hair follicle testing is a tamper-resistant method, reducing sample adulteration risk.
The robustness of this approach yields reliable, unquestionable results in Ambridge Heights, PA.
Employers can trust the integrity of outcomes with minimized risk of result manipulation.
With extensive nationwide locations, including local centers in Ambridge Heights, PA, accessing our testing services is convenient.
Our broad network allows for swift, hassle-free appointments anywhere.
Clients enjoy the ease of our well-positioned facilities for fast service.
Our process for hair follicle testing is simple and confidential in Ambridge Heights, PA.
Ordering, undergoing the test, and receiving results are designed to ensure privacy and ease of use.
We prioritize the confidentiality and simplicity of our testing procedures.
Accredited Drug Testing offers competitive pricing with swift turnaround times in Ambridge Heights, PA.
Our structures provide great value and prompt results for companies of any size.
This balance of affordability and speed delivers peace of mind for all our clients.
Hair follicle drug testing in Ambridge Heights, PA offers fast, accurate results, ensuring a dependable detection of substance use.
The precision of hair follicle analysis effectively identifies usage patterns, making it a trustworthy method.
Reliability is a key feature, as this testing method consistently delivers high accuracy.
Implementing hair follicle testing ensures compliance with workplace drug-free policies.
In Ambridge Heights, PA, this practice mitigates legal risks and boosts workplace safety.
Employers benefit from peace of mind, knowing their policies are adhered to rigorously.
