Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Viewed as an effective resource, hair analysis aids in identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The hair captures a detailed timeline of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the hair's growing fibers. When taken near the scalp, hair offers a detection period of up to roughly three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair is straightforward to collect, relatively hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.
Collecting a 1.5-inch length, approximately 200 strands of hair close to the scalp (roughly the thickness of a #2 pencil), yields 100mg of hair, ideal for both screening and test confirmation. For testing such as EtG, add-ons, and where tests exceed ten panels, 150mg of the sample is suggested. We advise using a jeweler’s scale for weighing. If scalp hair is non-existent, a comparable amount of body hair is collectable. When mentioning head hair, it strictly refers to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (e.g., facial, axillary).
Process Overview
The laboratory drug testing process involves four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
During Accessioning, a sample undergoes initial laboratory system processing. This step ensures the sample is duly sealed and dispatched, assigns a unique Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and finalizes any extra data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody.
Screening executes an initial, rapid drug abuse check. While cost-efficient for reaffirming non-usage in most samples, positive screenings necessitate confirmation for court admissibility. Any samples showing presumptive positives in Screening require subsequent verification.
A presumptive positive outcome in the Screening necessitates drawing additional hair from the primary sample for Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs at a significantly diminished concentration relative to other methods like urine or oral fluid, underscoring the complexity of performing hair drug testing.
Positive screening confirmations utilize GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before needed confirmations. The complete laboratory workflow from Accessioning through Confirmation aligns with CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Often termed "hair follicle tests", the procedure analyzes the hair itself, not the scalp’s hair follicle.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Danville, VT
Extended Detection Window in Danville, VT
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Danville, VT
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