Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is now recognized as an effective means to uncover drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a long-term record of alcohol and other substances by embedding biomarkers within the strands' fibers. When obtained close to the scalp, hair can yield approximately a 3-month timeframe for detecting alcohol and other drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch segment consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will result in 100mg of hair, providing the optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation. For tests involving EtG, add-ons, and/or more than 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. It’s suggested to use a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen. Should scalp hair be lacking, a comparable quantity of body hair may be gathered. Head hair signifies scalp hair only, whereas body hair denotes all other hair forms (like facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The drug test result processing at the laboratory consists of four pivotal steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the preliminary handling of a sample in a lab’s system. This step verifies that the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fills in any missing data not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening performs an initial swift analysis for drugs of abuse. Although Screening offers a cost-effective way to exclude drug use in most samples, a positive result demands confirmation for legal admissibility. Samples testing presumptively positive during Screening require secondary validation.
Should a sample show presumptive positivity in Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are isolated from the hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (like urine or oral fluid), rendering hair drug screening the most intricate methodology to execute.
Confirmation for any positive Screening outcome is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples presumed positive undergo washing before confirmation if necessary. The complete laboratory procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is scrutinized per the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair directive and the accreditation standards of ISO / IEC 17025.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite being often labeled as "hair follicle tests", the examination focuses on the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Benton, TN.
Extended Detection Window in Benton, TN.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Benton, TN.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Benton, TN.
Simple, Confidential Process in Benton, TN.
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Benton, TN.
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Benton, TN.
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Benton, TN.