Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as an effective method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a long-term drug and alcohol timeline by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair strand. When collected near the scalp, hair can provide a detection window spanning up to roughly 3 months for alcohol and other substances. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and easy to mail.
A 1.5-inch sample of about 200 hair strands (comparable to the size of a #2 pencil) near the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the optimal specimen for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional panels, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It is suggested to measure the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair may be used. Reference to head hair is exclusive to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result typically involves four pivotal steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning consists of the initial entry of a sample into a lab's system. This process ensures the sample was sealed and dispatched correctly, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizes any additional data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is an initial swift assessment for abuse drugs. While Screening offers a cost-effective method to disregard drug use in most samples, a positive screen requires verification for court admissibility. Any samples flagged as presumptively positive in Screening necessitate secondary confirmation.
If a sample is flagged as presumptively positive during the Screening stage, more hair is taken from the initial specimen and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), underscoring the complexity of hair drug screening.
Confirmation of any positive screening result occurs via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All presumed positive samples are cleansed before confirmation if needed. The entire lab process from Accessioning through Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Though commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand, not the hair follicle beneath the scalp.
In Exum, TX, hair follicle testing outperforms traditional urine tests by delivering superior detection accuracy and reliability.
In Exum, TX, hair follicle testing provides an extended detection window, typically up to 90 days, unlike other testing methods. This allows employers to understand an individual's substance use history more thoroughly.
Exum, TX sees significant advantages with hair follicle testing due to its low potential for sample tampering. This test method offers reliable and irrefutable results that foster trust in the screening process.
Our nationwide network, including locations in Exum, TX, ensures convenient access to comprehensive testing services.
In Exum, TX, our hair follicle testing process is simple and private, from ordering to receiving results.
Competitive pricing and fast results in Exum, TX make our hair follicle tests an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes.
Exum, TX benefits from the high precision of hair follicle tests, which deliver swift and accurate results for substance screening. This method ensures top-tier detection abilities, setting it apart from other testing techniques.
For employers in Exum, TX, hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free workplace regulations, minimizing legal risks and boosting safety.