Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as a potent method for identifying alcohol and drug consumption. Hair captures a timeline of drug and alcohol usage by embedding biomarkers within the strands as they grow. Collected near the scalp, hair offers a detection period of up to around 90 days for both alcohol and drugs. The collection process is straightforward, tampering is challenging, and shipping is uncomplicated.
A 1.5-inch portion comprising about 200 hair strands (roughly the width of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is the recommended amount for screening and confirmation. For tests such as EtG, additional requirements, or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg sample is advisable. It's best to use a jeweler's scale to measure the specimen. If scalp hair is absent, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. When we mention head hair, we mean only scalp hair. Body hair covers other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four primary phases in processing a laboratory drug test result are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning consists of the initial incorporation of a sample into a lab’s system. This step involves ensuring the sample was properly sealed and transported, assigning it a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and handling any additional data entry not provided by an electronic custody chain.
Screening entails a swift preliminary test for drugs of abuse. While Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug use in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation for legal admissibility. Samples that test presumptively positive in Screening need secondary confirmation.
If a sample shows presumptive positivity in the Screening phase, more hair is extracted from the original sample and readied for Extraction. Here, drugs are isolated from hair at much lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), which makes hair drug screening a complex technique to perform.
Confirmation of any positive screening outcomes is performed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives are cleansed before confirmation as necessary. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Often dubbed "hair follicle tests", the analysis examines the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp
Hair follicle testing boasts several advantages over urine testing in Madera, CA. It offers unmatched detection accuracy, making it a preferred choice for employers seeking reliable drug screening results. Unlike traditional urine tests, hair tests effectively capture long-term substance use behaviors, providing a comprehensive overview of an individual's substance history.
One key advantage of hair follicle testing in Madera, CA is its extended detection window. Unlike other methods, hair testing can track substance use as far back as 90 days, providing a detailed account of a person's drug use history. This allows employers to have a thorough view of a candidate's substance behavior over a significant period.
The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle testing in Madera, CA ensures its reliability as a drug screening method. Unlike urine samples, which can be easily altered or diluted, hair samples provide an unquestionable measure of drug use. This robust reliability makes them a top choice for accurate and trustworthy testing outcomes.
Convenience is a key benefit of our testing services with numerous nationwide and local locations in Madera, CA. Accredited Drug Testing offers easy access to our centers, ensuring quick and hassle-free testing. This accessibility makes it simpler for clients to carry out mandatory or voluntary drug screenings without difficulty.
The process of undergoing a hair follicle test in Madera, CA is simple and confidential, ensuring privacy and ease of use. Ordering, taking the test, and receiving results are streamlined, addressing concerns over privacy and maintaining a stress-free experience for all involved.
In Madera, CA, we offer affordable pricing and fast results, ensuring excellent value for companies of any scale. Our competitive pricing policies combined with quick result processing guarantee that organizations receive valuable and timely insights with no excessive costs.
The precision and swiftness of hair follicle drug tests make them an outstanding choice in Madera, CA. Users benefit from their exceptional accuracy, often unmatched by traditional drug testing methods. The ability to detect a broad spectrum of substances swiftly positions hair testing as a superior method for those seeking reliable drug assessments.
For employers in Madera, CA, hair follicle testing provides both compliance and peace of mind. Adhering to strict workplace drug-free policies, this method reduces legal risks and enhances overall workplace safety. It is a reliable solution that ensures alignment with company policies while safeguarding the work environment.
