Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Utilizing hair testing has emerged as a robust method for uncovering drug and alcohol consumption. The hair strand's fibers capture biomarkers as it grows, offering a lasting record of alcohol and drug use. When hair is clipped near the scalp, it can reveal drug and alcohol presence within roughly a three-month timeframe. Hair is easy to collect, relatively resistant to tampering, and simple to send.
Snipping a 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (akin to a #2 pencil's diameter) nearest to the scalp procures 100 mg of hair—the optimal quantity for screening and verification. To test for EtG, additional substances, or panels surpassing ten, 150 mg is the suggested amount. We advise using a jeweler's scale to gauge the specimen's weight. If scalp hair is not an option, a comparable portion of body hair can be used. "Head hair" exclusively refers to scalp hair, while "body hair" covers other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of drug tests comprises four major phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the process of initiating a sample's integration into the lab's system. This involves confirming the sample's proper sealing and shipment, assigning a random Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and completing any extra data entry omitted by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening executes an initial rapid assessment for drug misuse. Although Screening efficiently rules out drug use for most samples, a positive result necessitates confirmation for legal admissibility. Samples testing presumptively positive in Screening demand a subsequent confirmation.
If a sample tests presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is retrieved from the initial sample for the Extraction stage. This phase involves isolating drugs from hair at significantly lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine, or oral fluid), marking hair drug screening as a highly complex methodology.
To confirm any positive screening result, techniques such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS are employed. All samples that test presumptively positive undergo cleaning before confirmation, as required. The complete laboratory procedure, from Accessioning to 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: While sometimes called "hair follicle tests," the analysis targets the hair strand itself, not the scalp-embedded follicle.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Pampa, TX
Extended Detection Window in Pampa, TX
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Pampa, TX
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Pampa, TX
Simple, Confidential Process in Pampa, TX
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