Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis is recognized as an effective method for identifying substance use involving drugs and alcohol. The hair holds a prolonged record of alcohol and other drugs by encasing markers within the fibers of the growing hair strand. When sampled near the scalp, hair has the potential to offer up to around a 3-month detection timeframe for alcohol and other drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.
A segment measuring 1.5 inches consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is optimal for analysis and validation. For EtG, additional testing, and/or panels beyond 10, it is advised to collect 150mg of the specimen. It is suggested to use a jeweler’s scale for specimen weighing. If scalp hair isn't accessible, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be gathered. Mention of head hair specifically refers to scalp hair. Body hair pertains to any other hair type (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning covers the preliminary handling of a sample into a lab’s framework. This process verifies that the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishes any supplementary data registration not completed through an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening serves as an initial rapid assessment for substances of abuse. Although Screening is an economical strategy for excluding drug usage for most samples, a positive screen necessitates confirmation to be admissible in legal settings. Samples showing presumptive positives during Screening require further confirmation.
For samples marked as presumptively positive at the Screening phase, additional hair is sourced from the original specimen and readied for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which accounts for the complexity of hair drug testing.
Confirmation of any positive Screening outcome is executed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives are cleansed before confirmation if necessary. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is audited under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair category and the certification to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Smithton, PA highlights the superiority of hair analysis over traditional urine evaluations. Hair tests offer unparalleled detection efficacy, ensuring precision in capturing drug use history. Where a urine test may fall short, hair testing displays resilience, offering a longer detection window. Institutions that prioritize infallible results often switch to this reliable method.
Extended Detection Window in Smithton, PA underscores the benefit of hair follicle testing. By evaluating drug usage over a span reaching 90 days, employers and decision-makers attain a broader perspective of a person's substance history. This method provides unmatched insights, pivotal for hiring and ongoing evaluations in Smithton, PA, delivering transparent and correlate historical data.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Smithton, PA emphasizes the reliability of hair follicle assessments, reducing manipulation risks. Such tests provide stability against sample adulteration, ensuring the extracted results remain incontrovertible. Smithton, PA, benefits extensively from this method, promoting authenticity, and reinforcing trust in testing outcomes, crucial for organizational integrity.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Smithton, PA outlines the flexibility of testing services. With sites nationwide, including Smithton, PA, accessing drug testing is simplified. Locations are strategically placed to foster convenience, streamlining the path to obtain valid results. This expansion eases logistics, allowing swift and efficient testing for varied needs seamlessly.
Simple, Confidential Process in Smithton, PA clarifies the manageable and discreet procedure associated with hair testing. With an easy process from order through result reception, privacy and simplicity are at the forefront. In Smithton, PA, the system respects confidentiality, ensuring participants experience ease of use and assurance, making it a go-to method for sensitive drug evaluations.
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Smithton, PA emphasizes value and efficiency in hair testing. Competitive pricing structures ensure cost-effectiveness without quality compromise, presenting rapid completion times a norm. Companies in Smithton, PA, of any magnitude, benefit from top-quality testing aligned with economic accessibility, offering peace of mind and decisions made reliably quick.
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Smithton, PA highlight the prowess of hair follicle drug assessments. These tests have proven to deliver swift, precise results, lending themselves to routine and critical evaluations. With unsurpassed accuracy in identifying substance intake, they remain the preferred choice for entities aiming at a high standard in testing. In Smithton, PA, this method ensures thorough and conclusive assessments.
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Smithton, PA stresses the importance of utilizing hair follicle testing. These tests renew assurance in workplace drug policies, minimizing legal threats and boosting safety. Employers gain from this reliable method, maintaining compliance while fostering a secure, drug-free environment, ensuring operational peace of mind across Smithton, PA.
