Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Recognized as an influential technique, hair testing is utilized for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By capturing biomarkers within the fibers, hair presents a prolonged history of alcohol and drug usage. Collected near the scalp, it can reveal up to a nearly 90-day detection period for these substances. Acquiring hair samples is straightforward, somewhat hard to tamper with, and convenient for transportation.
A sample of 1.5 inches consisting of roughly 200 strands (equivalent to a #2 pencil’s width) taken closest to the scalp will result in 100mg of hair, which is optimal for screening and verification. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, it’s suggested to acquire 150mg of the sample. It is advisable to use a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen. In cases where scalp hair isn’t present, a comparable amount of body hair is suitable. Scalp hair exclusively refers to head hair, while body hair covers all other types (such as facial and axillary hair).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result encompasses four pivotal steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning signifies the introductory stage of entering a sample into the laboratory framework. This includes validating the sample's seal and shipment, generating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any additional data entry not furnished by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening entails an initial, swift examination for drug use. Although Screening is a cost-efficient approach to dismiss drug use for most samples, to hold in court, a positive screen necessitates verification. Any samples deemed presumptively positive in Screening require additional confirmation.
Should a sample yield a presumptively positive outcome during Screening, more hair is extracted from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are abstracted from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is deemed the most intricate technique to execute.
Confirmation of any initial positive screening outcome is carried out through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Every presumptive positive sample undergoes washing before confirmation, as necessary. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the full laboratory process is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and holds an accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly known as "hair follicle tests," this test actually examines the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp
Why Hair Follicle Testing Wins Over Urine Testing in Casco, WI
Extended Detection Window in Casco, WI
Tamper-Resistant Testing in Casco, WI
Convenient Testing Centers in Casco, WI
Simple, Confidential Testing in Casco, WI
Cost-Effective and Swift Results in Casco, WI
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Hair Testing in Casco, WI
Compliance and Employer Peace of Mind in Casco, WI