Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is recognized as an effective method for detecting substance use, capturing a historical record of alcohol and other drug consumption via biomarkers in the hair's growing strand. When gathered near the scalp, a hair test offers detection for up to about three months concerning alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.
A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (akin to the width of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp equates to 100mg of hair, the standard for screening and validation. For EtG, additional screenings, and tests surpassing 10 panels, 150mg is advised. Use a jeweler’s scale for accuracy in weighing. If head hair is insufficient, the same volume of body hair can be utilized. "Head hair" specifically denotes scalp hair, whereas "body hair" encompasses all other types (such as facial, underarm, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory protocol for processing a drug test comprises four essential steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes the initial integration of a sample into the lab’s system. This step verifies the sample's proper sealing and delivery, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any necessary data input absent from an electronic chain of custody.
Screening provides a preliminary drug-use check. While it’s a budget-friendly method to eliminate drug use across numerous samples, a positive screening outcome requires confirmation for legal acceptance. Samples with tentative positive results during Screening undergo additional verification.
Should a sample show a tentative positive during Screening, further hair is selected from the original sample for Extraction. Here, drugs are isolated from hair at far lower levels than other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), highlighting the complexity of hair drug screening.
GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques confirm any positive screening outcomes. All samples deemed presumptive positive proceed to washing before confirmation as necessary. The entire process, from Accessioning through Confirmation, adheres to the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly termed “hair follicle tests,” these tests actually examine the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why choose hair follicle testing over traditional urine tests in Bloomington, NE?
The answer lies in superior detection accuracy and reliability.
Hair follicle testing offers an extended detection period of substance use, up to 90 days. In Bloomington, NE, this provides employers crucial insights into an employee's or applicant's drug history, ensuring informed decisions.
This testing method drastically lowers the chances of sample adulteration, providing unquestionable results in Bloomington, NE.
Here's why it's considered tamper-resistant:
For Bloomington, NE residents, accessing our testing services is quick and hassle-free, thanks to our vast network of centers nationwide.
Engage with a straightforward and discreet process for hair testing in Bloomington, NE.
Our method prioritizes confidentiality and ease of use.
In Bloomington, NE, our competitive pricing and quick turnaround for hair follicle tests ensure excellent value for companies, regardless of size.
In Bloomington, NE, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their speed and accuracy in detecting substance use.
These tests offer unparalleled precision, making them superior to alternative methods.
Employing hair follicle testing in Bloomington, NE, aids in adhering to workplace drug policies by ensuring compliance and providing employers peace of mind.