Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as an effective means for detecting substance use. Hair serves as a historical record of alcohol and drugs, capturing biomarkers within the strands as hair grows. When hair is collected near the scalp, it can offer a detection period of up to 3 months for substances. Collection of hair is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches in length and containing around 200 hair strands, roughly the thickness of a #2 pencil, is needed to obtain the ideal 100mg sample for both screening and validation. For EtG tests, additional parameters, or when testing more than 10 panels, it's advisable to use 150mg. We suggest weighing the hair using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn't available, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. "Head hair" strictly refers to scalp hair, while "body hair" encompasses other types (e.g., facial, axillary).
Process Overview
The drug testing procedure in the lab encompasses four main stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
During Accessioning, the sample is initially processed into the lab’s system. This step ensures the sample remains sealed and is properly transported; a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number) is assigned and any missing data that isn’t captured via electronic chain of custody is recorded.
Screening provides a preliminary rapid assessment to detect substance abuse. Though this step effectively eliminates drug use possibilities in most cases, any positive findings need further verification for judicial acceptance. Any sample testing positive during Screening undergoes additional confirmation.
If Screening indicates a positive result, additional hair is taken from the initial sample for the Extraction phase. In Extraction, drugs are concentrated from hair at significantly lower levels than in urine or oral fluid testing, elevating hair testing as the most complex method to execute.
Confirmation of inconclusive positive results is executed with GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS technologies. Any preliminarily positive samples are cleansed before final confirmation, if necessary. The complete lab process, from Accessioning through Confirmation, is scrutinized in accordance with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) standards and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Often called "hair follicle tests", these tests examine the hair strand and not the follicle below the scalp
Why Hair Follicle Testing is Superior to Urine Testing in Hubbard, MN is evident from several key benefits. Unlike urine testing, hair testing offers superior detection accuracy and reliability.
Benefits of hair testing include:
Hair follicle testing in Hubbard, MN is renowned for its extended detection window, significantly surpassing traditional methods. It offers detection of drug use over an extended period, up to 90 days.
This gives employers a broader view of:
Hair follicle testing in Hubbard, MN greatly mitigates the risk of sample tampering. This method maintains the integrity of results through a tamper-resistant process.
Key features include:
In Hubbard, MN, our extensive network of convenient testing locations ensures no hassle access to hair follicle testing services. Nationwide availability offers ease of access for everyone.
Convenience factors:
The process for hair follicle testing in Hubbard, MN is simple, confidential, and designed to address concerns of privacy. Our approach ensures ease of use from ordering to receiving results.
Process highlights include:
In Hubbard, MN, our hair follicle testing services are competitively priced, providing excellent value for companies of all sizes. We also offer fast turnaround times, ensuring timely results.
Key benefits include:
The precision and speed of hair follicle drug tests ensure fast, accurate, and reliable results in Hubbard, MN. This method of testing offers high accuracy in detecting substance use, providing confidence and clarity.
Advantages include:
Employers in Hubbard, MN find that hair follicle testing brings compliance and peace of mind by ensuring adherence to drug-free workplace policies.
Benefits include:
