Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Considered a robust approach for detecting drug and alcohol consumption, hair testing offers a comprehensive, extended insight into substance use by preserving biomarkers within the developing strands. The collection of hair near the scalp can reveal substance usage history for up to three months. The sampling process is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and convenient for transport.
A 1.5-inch closest-to-scalp hair specimen, consisting of approximately 200 strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil), yields around 100mg of hair, which serves as the optimal quantity for both screening and subsequent confirmation. For EtG-related tests, additional or more extensive testing involving over 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advisable. It's suggested to measure this using a jeweler's scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent weight of body hair can be used. The term 'head hair' specifically refers to scalp hair, whereas 'body hair' includes all other hair types (e.g., facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
Laboratory processing of a drug test comprises four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning refers to the introductory step of organizing a sample within a laboratory's framework. This step includes ensuring the sample's secure sealing and shipment, assigning a random Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and filling in any missing information not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening acts as a preliminary evaluation for misuse of drugs. Even though Screening is economically efficient for excluding drug use in numerous samples, a positive result must be confirmed for legal proceedings. Presumptive positive samples require a follow-up confirmation.
For samples indicated as presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is retrieved from the original sample to prepare for Extraction. In this procedure, drug extraction from hair occurs at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (like urine or oral fluid), attributing to the complexity of hair drug analysis.
Confirmation of any initial positive screening is conducted through techniques such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples deemed presumptive positive are washed prior to confirmation as necessary. The entire workflow from Accessioning through Confirmation undergoes review under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and in alignment with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: The term "hair follicle tests" is commonly used, though actual analysis is performed on the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Paxtonville, PA highlights the significant advantages of hair testing.
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