Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has become acknowledged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a prolonged history of alcohol and narcotics by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. When clipped near the scalp, hair can offer up to an approximately three-month detection timeframe for alcohol and drugs. Hair is straightforward to collect, somewhat resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.
A sample of 1.5 inches, containing around 200 strands of hair (roughly the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the optimal sample size for both screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or more than 10-panel tests, 150mg of the sample is advised. Using a jeweler’s scale is suggested for weighing the specimen. If scalp hair is not attainable, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be gathered. When addressing head hair, we mean only scalp hair. Body hair includes all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
There are four primary phases in the lab processing of a drug test outcome: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning begins with the initial processing of a specimen into a lab's system. This step encompasses verifying that the specimen was sealed and shipped correctly, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and adding any further data not entered by an electronic custody system.
Screening allows for an initial rapid check for substance abuse. While Screening is a budget-friendly technique to exclude drug use in most specimens, a positive screen necessitates confirmation for judicial acceptance. Any samples preliminarily positive in Screening must be validated with a second confirmation.
Should a specimen be provisionally positive in the Screening phase, more hair is drawn from the initial sample and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are culled from hair at significantly lower concentration levels than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), establishing hair drug screening as the most complex methodology to conduct.
Confirmation of any affirmative screening outcome employs GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as needed. The complete laboratory process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the certification to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Though frequently named "hair follicle tests", the test examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Hair follicle testing outperforms urine testing in South Cleveland, TN, due to its greater detection accuracy and dependability. Hair testing is acclaimed for:
In South Cleveland, TN, hair follicle tests offer a broad detection window, uncovering substance use over a period of up to 90 days. This extensive duration provides:
South Cleveland, TN, benefits from hair follicle tests that minimize sample tampering risks. This testing method ensures:
In South Cleveland, TN, our nationwide testing facilities offer ease of access. Enjoy the convenience of:
Hair testing in South Cleveland, TN, is effortless and confidential, prioritizing user privacy and simplicity. The process involves:
Affordable pricing and swift operations characterize our testing services in South Cleveland, TN. We offer:
In South Cleveland, TN, hair follicle testing stands out for its swift, precise, and trustworthy results. These tests offer enhanced detection accuracy in identifying substance use.
Employing hair follicle testing in South Cleveland, TN, aligns with workplace drug-free policies, ensuring: