Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis is recognized as an effective means for detecting substance use. Hair offers an extended timeline of alcohol and drug usage by containing biomarkers within the strands of hair as they grow. When gathered near the scalp, hair can reveal substance use for around a three-month period. The collection of hair is straightforward, tampering is relatively hard, and the shipment is not complicated.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil) near the scalp will yield 100mg, an optimal quantity for testing and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or above 10 panel evaluations, 150mg of the sample is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale to measure the specimen is recommended. If scalp hair is not accessible, a comparable amount of body hair can be used. Reference to head hair pertains to scalp hair exclusively. Body hair includes all other types such as facial and underarm.
Process Outline
The primary steps in the laboratory analysis of a drug test result are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes recording the sample into the lab’s protocol. This step confirms that the sample was appropriately sealed and transported, assigns a unique Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and completes any missing data entry not available through an electronic custody tracking system.
Screening is an initial evaluation for drug presence. While this method is a cost-efficient strategy to largely rule out drug presence, confirmation is required for any positive findings to validate them legally. Presumptive positives from Screening necessitate further validation.
Should a sample test as presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is obtained from the original sample and processed for Extraction. At this stage, detection of drugs from hair occurs at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods like urine or saliva, indicating why hair drug screening presents the most challenges.
For any positive outcome in Screening, confirmation is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumed positive specimens undergo a wash before confirmation as warranted. The entire lab procedure, from Accessioning through Confirmation, adheres to the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.
Benefits of hair drug testing:
Drawbacks:
Note: Commonly termed "hair follicle tests," these tests analyze the hair shaft instead of the root beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Tennessee Colony, TX
Extended Detection Window in Tennessee Colony, TX
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Tennessee Colony, TX
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Tennessee Colony, TX
Simple, Confidential Process in Tennessee Colony, TX
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Tennessee Colony, TX
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Tennessee Colony, TX
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Tennessee Colony, TX