Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as a potent means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended timeline of alcohol and drug use by encasing biomarkers within the fibers of the expanding hair shaft. When gathered near the scalp, hair can offer a detection window for alcohol and drugs lasting up to three months. Hair collection is straightforward, moderately hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A segment of hair measuring 1.5 inches comprising about 200 strands (approximately the width of a #2 pencil) located nearest the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additions, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. We suggest utilizing a jeweler’s scale to measure the specimen’s weight. Should scalp hair not be available, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. When discussing head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair includes all other hair types (e.g., facial, axillary).
Process Overview
The four key phases incorporated in the laboratory processing of a drug test outcome are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails the preliminary processing of a sample into the lab’s system. This step includes ensuring that the sample was correctly sealed and sent, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fulfilling any extra data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening includes an initial fast assessment for drugs of abuse. Screening offers a cost-efficient way to dismiss drug use in most samples, yet a positive screen requires confirmation to be court-admissible. Any samples showing presumptive positives during Screening necessitate secondary confirmation.
Should a sample display a presumptive positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the primary specimen and prepared for Extraction. Here, drugs are isolated from hair at significantly lower concentrations than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening among the most challenging methodologies to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening result is conducted via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to confirmation as necessary. The complete laboratory process from Accessioning through Confirmation is scrutinized in accordance with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although often referenced as “hair follicle tests,†the analysis is of the hair strand itself, not the subsurface hair follicle.
In Croft, PA, hair follicle testing offers superior advantages over traditional urine tests. Notably, hair tests in Croft showcase enhanced detection accuracy, capturing a broader substance usage window than urine tests.
Compared to urine analysis, the hair follicle approach in Croft, PA, demonstrates superior reliability. Hair tests minimize error chances, ensuring more dependable results for assessing an individual's substance use.
Employers in Croft, PA benefit from the extended detection window hair tests provide. These tests capture drug use over a span of up to 90 days, offering a thorough view of substance histories.
By analyzing hair samples, Croft, PA employers gain insights into an applicant's or employee's long-term drug use, surpassing traditional methods such as urine tests.
Hair follicle tests drastically reduce the possibility of sample tampering in Croft, PA. This approach ensures the provision of definitive and credible results.
In Croft, PA, the hair follicle method eliminates concerns over sample alterations. This testing mode grants unmatched assurance of authenticity, delivering reliant results.
In Croft, PA, our extensive network of testing locations affords seamless accessibility to drug testing services, offering both convenience and efficiency.
Our far-reaching presence, including local options in Croft, PA, guarantees an effortless, stress-free process for those seeking drug testing solutions.
Within Croft, PA, the hair testing process is straightforward, upholding privacy at every stage, from order to result retrieval.
Clients in Croft, PA find the testing procedure easy and confidential, ensuring privacy while meeting testing needs effortlessly.
In Croft, PA, our pricing is competitive while delivering fast turnaround times. This model ensures cost-efficiency for organizations regardless of size.
Our Croft-based services promise affordability paired with rapid results, providing businesses with significant value and assurance.
In Croft, PA, hair follicle testing boasts unparalleled speed and precision. This method ensures not only swift but also highly accurate detection of substance use, providing reliable outcomes.
Those in Croft, PA can be assured of hair tests' reliability due to their precise, comprehensive evaluation. This method adeptly identifies even minute traces of substances, maintaining exceptional accuracy.
Employers in Croft, PA gain reassurance with hair follicle testing aligning with drug-free policies, mitigating legal risks while bolstering workplace safety.
Through hair follicle testing, Croft employers ensure compliance with mandated policies, achieving peace of mind and safeguarding their operations against potential liabilities.
