Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as an effective medium for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By embedding biomarkers within the fibers of growing hair strands, hair shows a long-term record of alcohol and drug intake. Collected near the scalp, hair can indicate usage over approximately a three-month period. Hair is easy to gather, less prone to tampering, and simple to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches, comprising roughly 200 strands like a #2 pencil in size, will yield 100mg of hair, the perfect sample for both screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and tests over 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. We advocate the use of a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen. Should scalp hair be unavailable, an equal weight of body hair can be taken. Our reference to head hair pertains solely to scalp hair. Body hair denotes any other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four essential stages in processing a drug test result in a lab setting are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning requires integrating a sample into a lab’s system. It includes confirming the sample’s proper sealing and shipping, assigning it a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fulfilling any additional data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is a preliminary rapid test for substances of abuse. Screening is cost-efficient for excluding drug use in most samples, but any positive result must be validated for court acceptance. Samples showing presumptive positive in Screening necessitate a second confirmation.
If a sample is presumptive positive during Screening, more hair is taken from the initial specimen for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are separated from hair at much lower concentrations compared to other methods such as urine or oral fluid; hence, hair drug screening is deemed the most challenging method.
Confirmation of any positive screening result is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Before confirmation, all presumptive positive samples are washed if necessary. The entirety of the lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is scrutinized under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis examines the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Benefit of Hair Testing
Hair follicle testing surpasses urine tests in terms of reliability and detection accuracy. It offers a comprehensive evaluation of drug use.
Why Hair Over Urine
In Swartzville, PA, employers prefer hair tests for their effectiveness and thoroughness, providing peace of mind.
Extended Detection
Hair follicle testing provides an expansive view with a detection window of up to 90 days, unlike other methods.
Comprehensive View
Employers in Swartzville, PA, benefit from the extensive detection capability, aiding in making better-informed decisions.
Tamper-Resistant
Hair follicle tests significantly mitigate the risk of tampering, ensuring more reliable outputs.
Secure Testing
Providing Swartzville, PA, employers with tamper-proof results enhances decision-making integrity.
Convenient Access
With nationwide testing centers, hair follicle testing services are easily accessible in Swartzville, PA, and beyond.
Hassle-Free Testing
Experience seamless testing with convenient locations, ensuring efficient service delivery.
Simple and Confidential
The process for ordering and receiving hair follicle test results is straightforward and respects privacy.
Discreet Process
Residents of Swartzville, PA, appreciate the confidentiality and ease of acquiring and using hair testing services.
Value and Speed
Our competitive pricing and swift turnaround make hair follicle testing in Swartzville, PA, a valuable investment.
Economical Testing Solutions
Ensuring cost-effective and rapid services benefits companies requiring reliable drug testing solutions.
Precision and Speed
The precision and swift results of hair follicle drug tests set them apart. They deliver high accuracy in identifying substance use.
Trusted Accuracy
These tests offer unparalleled reliability in substance detection, making them the favored choice in Swartzville, PA.
Compliance and Safety
Hair testing ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies, reducing potential legal risks.
Employer Assurance
In Swartzville, PA, hair testing reinforces compliance and promotes a safe working atmosphere.