Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is now recognized as an effective means for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair strands capture biomarkers within their fibers, offering a prolonged record of substance use. When extracted near the scalp, hair samples can detect alcohol and drugs for up to a quarter of a year. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches with around 200 hair strands (approximately the size of a #2 pencil) taken nearest to the scalp results in 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for evaluation. For EtG, additional tests, and analyses over 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It's recommended to measure the specimen using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair can't be obtained, an equivalent amount of body hair is acceptable. The term head hair specifically refers to scalp hair, whereas body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result comprises four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails the initial processing of a sample into the laboratory’s system, which includes confirming proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any data entry missing from an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening provides an initial assessment for drugs of abuse. While Screening offers a cost-effective method to exclude drug usage for most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be court-admissible. Samples that show presumptive positive results in Screening need a secondary confirmation.
For samples showing presumptive positives in Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original sample for Extraction. Drugs are then extracted from hair at a much lower concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging methodology to execute.
To confirm any positive Screening result, methods such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS are employed. All samples that are presumptively positive are washed prior to confirmation, if necessary. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the entire laboratory process is evaluated in compliance with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guideline and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", these tests analyze the hair strand rather than the follicle below the scalp.
Hair follicle testing in Crow Reservation, MT, offers superior benefits over urine tests by providing enhanced detection accuracy and reliability. This method surpasses traditional urine tests, delivering a more comprehensive evaluation of substance use.
Hair follicle testing in Crow Reservation, MT, reveals drug use over an extended period—up to 90 days—providing employers with a clear picture of an individual's substance history.
Hair follicle tests in Crow Reservation, MT, substantially lower the risk of sample adulteration, offering reliable and indisputable results that uphold the integrity of drug testing processes.
Our expansive network of testing centers, including local sites in Crow Reservation, MT, ensures convenient access to testing services, facilitating a seamless and efficient experience.
In Crow Reservation, MT, the process for hair follicle testing is designed to be straightforward and confidential, ensuring privacy and ease from ordering to receiving results.
In Crow Reservation, MT, we offer hair follicle testing with competitive pricing and quick turnaround times, delivering excellent value and assurance for businesses of any size.
In Crow Reservation, MT, hair follicle drug tests offer unmatched precision and speed, ensuring fast and accurate results. This high level of accuracy detects substance use more effectively than other methods.
Utilizing hair follicle testing in Crow Reservation, MT, ensures compliance with drug-free workplace policies, reducing legal risks and fostering a safer, more secure work environment.
