Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Detecting drug and alcohol use has become more effective with hair testing. The hair archives a long-term record of alcohol and drug consumption by embedding biomarkers within its growing fibers. Collecting hair near the scalp offers a detection scope of around 90 days for drugs and alcohol. Hair is easy to collect, hard to tamper with, and convenient to send.
Securing a 1.5-inch hair strand sample, roughly the thickness of a #2 pencil, closest to the scalp yields a 100mg hair specimen, ideal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG additions or tests exceeding 10 panels, a sample of 150mg is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale for measuring is recommended. If scalp hair isn’t accessible, an equal body hair amount can be utilized. References to head hair imply scalp hair only, while body hair includes other types such as facial or axillary hair.
Process Overview
The primary procedures in analyzing a drug test result cover Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning represents the first handling of a sample in a laboratory’s system, encompassing checking that the sample is sealed and shipped correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and entering any additional data not delivered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is a preliminary evaluation to exclude drug misuse. Though Screening economically clears the majority of samples for drug use, a positive result must be confirmed to be legally acceptable. Any samples shown as positive during Screening need further confirmation.
Should a sample appear positive in Screening, additional hair from the initial sample is prepared for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at a lower concentration than in other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), marking hair drug screening as the most challenging method to conduct.
Confirmation of a positive Screening result is accomplished via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples preliminarily positive are washed before Confirmation as needed. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes review under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the examination is of the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.
Hair follicle testing in Vick, LA, surpasses traditional urine testing by providing better detection accuracy. The longstanding detection period allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of an individual's drug use history, which urine tests cannot match.
Hair follicle tests extend the detection window for drug use to up to 90 days, unlike urine tests. This allows companies in Vick, LA, to gain a broader understanding of an individual’s substance history for informed decision-making.
Due to the observed collection process, hair follicle testing significantly reduces the chances of tampering, providing reliable results. This tamper-resistant method ensures integrity in Vick, LA.
Convenience is key, and with numerous testing centers nationwide, accessing hair follicle testing has never been easier for those in Vick, LA. Our local facilities ensure a seamless and straightforward process.
In Vick, LA, the procedure for hair follicle testing is simple and discreet. It provides ease in ordering, partaking, and receiving results while maintaining the utmost privacy and confidentiality.
Offering competitive pricing and fast turnaround times, our hair follicle testing in Vick, LA, provides exceptional value. Companies of all sizes can benefit from this affordable yet reliable testing method.
Fast and reliable results are pivotal in the drug testing process, and in Vick, LA, hair follicle testing offers unmatched precision. The detection capabilities of hair tests are extraordinarily sensitive, offering high accuracy in identifying substance use.
For employers in Vick, LA, hair follicle tests assure compliance with drug-free policies. By mitigating legal risks and enhancing safety, they offer peace of mind that adheres to workplace standards.