Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Recognized as a robust approach, hair testing plays a vital role in identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a prolonged history of substance intake by enclosing biomarkers within the hair strand's fibers as it grows. When retrieved close to the scalp, hair offers a detection timeline of up to about three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch section comprising roughly 200 hair strands (approximately the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair—ideal for evaluation and validation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It's suggested to measure the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unattainable, body hair of similar quantity may be gathered. When mentioning head hair, we specify only scalp hair. Body hair pertains to all other hair categories (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of drug test results primarily entails four stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning encompasses the initial integration of a sample into a lab's system, involving confirmation of proper sealing and shipping of the sample, allocation of a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completion of any extra data input missing from an electronic chain of custody mechanism.
Screening constitutes a preliminary inspection for substances of abuse. Although Screening serves as a cost-efficient means to dismiss drug usage in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed for judicial admissibility. Any samples deemed presumptively positive during Screening necessitate secondary confirmation.
Upon a sample being presumptively positive at the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for preparation in the Extraction phase. Here, drugs are isolated from hair at far lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), rendering hair drug screening a highly challenging technique to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screen outcomes is performed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples assumed positive undergo washing before confirmation as needed. The complete laboratory sequence from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair-specific standards and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 criteria.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Frequently termed "hair follicle tests", this examination assesses the hair strand, not the follicle under the scalp.
The benefits of hair follicle testing in Genesee, PA surpass traditional urine testing methods.
Hair follicle testing in Genesee, PA excels at detecting long-term drug use.
In Genesee, PA, hair follicle testing presents a nearly foolproof solution against tampering.
Genesee, PA hosts considerable convenience through numerous testing locations.
The process for hair follicle testing in Genesee, PA is notably straightforward and confidential.
Offering competitive pricing, hair follicle testing in Genesee, PA is both economical and fast.
In Genesee, PA, the hair follicle test stands out for its rapid and reliable outcomes. This testing method offers high accuracy in identifying various substances, making it a preferred choice.
Quick processing and detailed reporting of results make hair follicle tests superior in Genesee, PA.
Employers in Genesee, PA trust hair follicle testing for adhering to drug-free workplace policies.
