Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as an effective instrument for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a long-term record of alcohol and various substances by preserving biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. When gathered near the scalp, hair can furnish up to about a 3-month timeframe for detecting alcohol and other drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively resistant to tampering, and easy for transport.
A 1.5-inch section of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the optimum sample for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or analyses exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is preferable. It’s advisable to measure the specimen on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair cannot be collected, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be gathered. Our reference to head hair pertains only to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four primary steps in the lab processing of a drug test result are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning involves the initial integration of a sample into a lab’s system. This includes confirming the sample was appropriately sealed and sent, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any missing data entry not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is an initial swift method to detect drugs of abuse. While Screening economically excludes drug usage in most samples, a positive screen requires confirmation for court admissibility. Samples presumptively found positive in Screening necessitate a secondary confirmation.
If a sample appears presumptively positive during the Screening phase, more hair is extracted from the original specimen for Preparation for Extraction. Here, drugs are isolated from hair at a significantly reduced concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening one of the most challenging methodologies to conduct.
Confirmation of any positive screening outcomes is performed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed pre-confirmation as required. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the examination itself analyzes the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
In Strathmore, NJ, hair follicle testing surpasses traditional urine testing in several ways. Unmatched in detection accuracy and reliability, it provides a superior method for ensuring drug-free workplaces.
Extended Detection Window is a key advantage of hair follicle testing in Strathmore, NJ. It captures drug use history up to 90 days, allowing for a comprehensive view of an individual's substance use.
Hair follicle testing in Strathmore, NJ, offers a tamper-resistant testing method, ensuring sample integrity. This security makes results reliable and straightforward.
In Strathmore, NJ, our convenient nationwide testing locations make accessing hair follicle drug tests easy and hassle-free. Our comprehensive network of centers ensures you are always near a testing site.
In Strathmore, NJ, our hair follicle testing process is simple and confidential. We address privacy concerns while maintaining ease of use for ordering, testing, and receiving results.
Hair follicle testing in Strathmore, NJ, offers affordable pricing and fast turnaround, delivering excellent value to companies of any size. Quick processing times make it a reliable choice.
The precision and speed of hair follicle drug tests in Strathmore, NJ, make them highly reliable for detecting substance use. Fast and Accurate, these tests provide results that are much superior in accuracy compared to other methods.
Utilizing hair follicle testing helps employers in Strathmore, NJ, maintain compliance and peace of mind. This testing method aligns with drug-free workplace policies, reducing legal risks and enhancing safety.