Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis is widely regarded as a robust method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. It provides an extended history of substance use by capturing markers within the fibers of the growing hair. When clipped near the scalp, a hair strand can offer a detection window of up to three months for drugs and alcohol. Hair collection is straightforward, less susceptible to tampering, and convenient for shipping.
A 1.5-inch segment consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (approximately the size of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp yields 100mg, the preferred quantity for both screening and confirmation. For EtG and other extensions or tests exceeding 10 panels, it's advised to collect 150mg. Using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen is suggested. Should scalp hair be unavailable, a comparable amount of body hair is an alternative. When discussing head hair, this pertains solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types, such as facial and axillary hair.
Process Overview
The core stages in a laboratory drug test analysis include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the first step that processes a sample into the laboratory system. This process ensures the sample was appropriately sealed and shipped, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any data entry not covered by an electronic custody system.
Screening functions as a preliminary check for drugs of abuse, serving as a cost-efficient method to rule out drug use in most samples. However, any positive screen must undergo confirmation for court admissibility. Presumptive positive samples from Screening necessitate secondary verification.
Should a sample indicate presumptive positivity during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen for further processing. During Extraction, drugs are isolated from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods, like urine or oral fluid, explaining why hair testing presents the greatest challenge in drug screening.
Confirmation of any positive screening results occurs via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples are washed before this step when required. The full laboratory analysis from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Though they're often called "hair follicle tests", the procedure examines the hair strand itself, not the scalp-embedded hair follicle.
Hair follicle tests offer a distinct advantage in Romney, WV, due to their superior detection capabilities compared to traditional urine tests.
The extended detection window of hair follicle tests in Romney, WV, provides insights up to 90 days prior.
In Romney, WV, hair follicle testing proves tamper-resistant, drastically reducing the risk of sample adulteration.
Testing in Romney, WV, is made convenient with our nationwide locations.
The hair follicle drug testing process in Romney, WV, is simple and confidential:
Affordable pricing paired with rapid result delivery distinguishes service in Romney, WV.
In Romney, WV, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their fast and precise results, eliminating doubts regarding substance use detection. Accuracy ranks high, with the capability to identify a wide range of substances.
The speed complements the precision, ensuring results reach quickly to make important decisions.
Hair follicle testing in Romney, WV, offers peace of mind and compliance with drug-free workplace policies. Secure drug screening methods mitigate legal concerns and enhance workplace safety. Thus, it fosters an environment conducive to safe operations.
