Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
The assessment of hair testing is acknowledged as a significant measure for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair contains a long-term record of drugs and alcohol by embedding biomarkers in the hair strand's fibers. When taken from near the scalp, hair offers a detection period of up to 3 months for drugs and alcohol. It's straightforward to collect, somewhat tamper-resistant, and easy to transport.
A hair sample 1.5 inches long with roughly 200 strands (about the thickness of a #2 pencil) near the scalp offers 100mg of hair, perfect for screening and validation. When testing for EtG, additional substances, or more than 10 panels, 150mg of hair is advised. We suggest measuring the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn't available, an equal portion of body hair can be used. Here, head hair denotes scalp hair only. Body hair includes all other types like facial, axillary, etc.
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test involves four major steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes the sample's preliminary processing into a lab's system, ensuring proper sealing and shipping, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening involves a preliminary rapid check for drugs of abuse. Screening is cost-effective for ruling out drug usage in most samples, but a positive screen needs confirmation for court admissibility. Any samples that are presumptively positive in Screening require secondary confirmation.
If Screening suggests a positive result, more hair is taken from the initial sample for Extraction. This involves extracting drugs from hair at a much lower concentration compared to other methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging to execute.
Confirmation of a positive screening result is executed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are washed as necessary before confirmation. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is overseen under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly labeled as "hair follicle tests", the actual analysis targets the hair strand, not the hair follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Marcus, SD When comparing hair testing and traditional urine tests, the former shines with superior detection accuracy and reliability.
Extended Detection Window in Marcus, SD Hair follicle testing provides insights into drug use over an extended period, often up to 90 days. This gives employers a deeper understanding of an individual's substance use history.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Marcus, SD One key advantage of hair follicle tests is their resistance to sample tampering, ensuring reliable and unchallengeable results.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Marcus, SD Experience the ease of access to testing services through our nationwide centers, offering speedy and straightforward testing processes.
Simple, Confidential Process in Marcus, SD Our process is designed to be straightforward and discrete, from ordering to receiving results, addressing concerns of privacy and customer convenience.
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Marcus, SD Our competitive pricing coupled with quick turnaround times provides exceptional value, ensuring peace of mind for businesses regardless of size.
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Marcus, SD Hair follicle drug tests stand out for their remarkable precision and speed. These tests offer high accuracy levels in identifying substance use, ensuring timely and trustworthy results.
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Marcus, SD Utilizing hair follicle tests helps ensure adherence to workplace drug-free policies, minimizing legal exposure and improving safety standards.
