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UNDERSTANDING
YOUR TEST RESULTS
LAB RESULTS
VERIFIED BY
Certified Scientists
Every specimen undergoes screening and, when needed, confirmation testing in accordance with required testing procedure regulations. Your final result may or may not be reviewed by an MRO based on the style of testing you have selected.
USDTL Hair | Nail result example
The Specimen ID # is a specific number to your test. The number originates from the Chain of Custody form you signed when your hair / nail collection was completed at Paramex. The number was also labeled and initialed on the specimen envelope shipped to the lab. This number matches off to the CCF with your signature stating that the specimen being sent and tested is yours and was not tampered with by the collector.
Notify us if your name is misspelled here.
Reason and Type: The reason can also be edited - usually is marked as (Personal, Court Order, or Other). Type: will be what was tested - either your Hair or Nails. The Dates or a history of when events took place.
Header Bar: Shows testing panel on the sample & the overall result (POSITIVE - drugs found | NEGATIVE - no drugs found).
Drugs Tested & Result every parent drug tested will be listed here. The result of each drug will be displayed in the result column next to the result. Quantitation will list the weighted result of the drug metabolite found in the result. The screening and Confirm Cutoff levels are displaying the triggered levels that the testing instruments are set to detect the drug in the test. All specimens are screened. When a screen test shows a positive, a secondary confirmation test is performed. That is why there are two separate columns and why the numbers only appear in the confirm cutoff column next to positive results.
Additional Sample Information: This field typically only tells from what location the sample was cut (Head Hair, Body Hair, Finger Nails, Toe Nails) This field may also contain QNS - Quantity Not Sufficient - meaning there was not enough of the sample to test for all desired drug categories. If your result has confusing data here please submit your questions to Paramex for further clarification.
Hair | Nail Testing
Hair Length = Length of result history
Head hair grows about a half inch each month. Your test includes the testing of up to 1.5 inches of hair. If your head hair is a half inch long when we collect it, than the results will be showing a past history of 1 month. If you have 1.5 inches of length or more, than your result is showing a 90 history field. This is a standard formula. It may not be accurate for everyone since some peoples hair growth is a bit faster and others slow down due to health reasons and age.
What does a POSITIVE result mean - exactly?
First off, hair testing only gives the answer of Positive or Negative for each tested drug. The result cannot give further information. A POSITIVE result doesn't tell you when in the past they used, how often they used, how much they used, or how they used the drug. It only offers proof that the person allowed themselves to be exposed or consume enough of the drug during that historical time to produce a Positive result at the lab. When a drug shows Positive, it will also give you the amount. Many confuse this with the ability to determine if the person used the drug a lot or only a little. The testing level is a trigger indication that shows at what level the lab was able to measure the result on the testing instruments.
Adding more testing after the fact...
After your hair test results have been reported, you cannot add additional testing to the sample. This means you cannot request other drugs be added to the result or for additional length of hair be tested to go further back on the result. Another Hair sample will be needed of the same or more amount (based on what else needs to be tested for) for more testing to be done.
Does Hair Testing prove that past positive urine tests are false?
No. Hair test results do not work as proof that previous drug testing was incorrect. It merely means your hair contained enough of the drug(s) to show a positive result based on your use or exposure to the drug(s).
Differences between HAIR vs. NAIL
Both testing is considered Keratin Fiber Testing. The Nail test is often used in place of the hair testing when a hair sample is not possible. Nail testing may have a longer testing history reflected in it's result because the nail bed is much closer to the blood flow beneath.
Having trouble understanding your results? The provided examples below offer guidance to help you better understand the information printed on your lab result. The examples are illustrations only and are provided to guide you in understanding your own results. Paramex's does not offer opinion or advice based on results and will not offer services to testify in court on your behalf. If you still have questions regarding your results, you may use the online form provided in the link below to ask your questions "on the record".
OMEGA Hair result example
The Specimen ID # is a specific number to your test. The number originates from the Chain of Custody form you signed when your hair / nail collection was completed at Paramex. The number was also labeled and initialed on the specimen envelope shipped to the lab. This number matches off to the CCF with your signature stating that the specimen being sent and tested is yours and was not tampered with by the collector.
Notify us if your name is misspelled here.
Reason and Dates: The reason can also be edited - usually is marked as (Personal, Court Order, or Other). Dates: will reflect the specific dates noted by on the CCF or by the lab.
Header Bar: Shows testing panel on the sample & the overall result (POSITIVE - drugs found | NEGATIVE - no drugs found).
Drugs Tested & Result every parent drug tested will be listed here. The result of each drug will be displayed in the result column next to the result. Quantitation will list the weighted result of the drug metabolite found in the result. The screening and Confirm Cutoff levels are displaying the triggered levels that the testing instruments are set to detect the drug in the test. All specimens are screened. When a screen test shows a positive, a secondary confirmation test is performed. That is why there are two separate columns and why the numbers only appear in the confirm cutoff column next to positive results.
Additional Sample Information: This field typically only tells the length of the hair that will be tested from the sample.
Hair Testing
Hair Length = Length of result history
Head hair grows about a half inch each month. Your test includes the testing of up to 1.5 inches of hair. If your head hair is a half inch long when we collect it, than the results will be showing a past history of 1 month. If you have 1.5 inches of length or more, than your result is showing a 90 history field. This is a standard formula. It may not be accurate for everyone since some peoples hair growth is a bit faster and others slow down due to health reasons and age.
What does a POSITIVE result mean - exactly?
First off, hair testing only gives the answer of Positive or Negative for each tested drug. The result cannot give further information. A POSITIVE result doesn't tell you when in the past they used, how often they used, how much they used, or how they used the drug. It only offers proof that the person allowed themselves to be exposed or consume enough of the drug during that historical time to produce a Positive result at the lab. When a drug shows Positive, it will also give you the amount. Many confuse this with the ability to determine if the person used the drug a lot or only a little. The testing level is a trigger indication that shows at what level the lab was able to measure the result on the testing instruments.
Adding more testing after the fact...
After your hair test results have been reported, you cannot add additional testing to the sample. This means you cannot request other drugs be added to the result or for additional length of hair be tested to go further back on the result. Another Hair sample will be needed of the same or more amount (based on what else needs to be tested for) for more testing to be done.
Does Hair Testing prove that past positive urine tests are false?
No. Hair test results do not work as proof that previous drug testing was incorrect. It merely means your hair contained enough of the drug(s) to show a positive result based on your use or exposure to the drug(s).
MEDTOX Urine result example
Identity Field: Contains the identifying numbers which relates the person - the urine specimen - and result together. Every person is ID before testing. Every urine test has a Specimen ID which is on the result, the CCF (signed by you), and labeled on the sealed bottles of urine shipped to the lab. There can be no errors in these numbers. If an error exists, the lab cancels the testing at the lab before releasing a result.
Dates: This date and time section gives the history of when events took place. It has no significance to the final results
Tests Requested: Shows a list of the drugs / panels that were selected to be tested at the lab on this urine sample.
Screening & Confirmation The numbers in these columns are informational only and do not reflect any specific result. Instead they are there to tell you at what levels the instruments at the lab are set for when looking for drug level positives in your specimen. These thresholds prevent passive inhalation, poppy seed muffins, and other myths from being the cause of a positive result. The lab is looking for drugs a certain levels to indicate a positive based on use.
Tests Requested: This column corresponds to the drug name listed in the column next to it, and indicates the result of testing found at the laboratory. Results will read:
(+++POSITIVE +++ drugs found | NEGATIVE - no drugs found).
Tests Requested: This is not a drug. This shows a validity test that is run on your urine by the lab. Your body should naturally fall within the correct levels based on a normal diet and consumption of water. When these levels are out of range the result will report a (L) low specific gravity and a recommendation to retest, since it may be possible the person tested is drinking large amounts of water or working to flush/purify their system. It is not grounds to determine that the person intentionally tried to beat the test.
Certification and Summary The bottom of each page (other than the last page) gives a summary of the tested substances that have findings. Those findings will all be displayed on the last page again in more detail at the bottom of the report.
FINAL RESULT The last page always includes a listed of all the drugs that the lab found as POSITIVE. It will also list the weighted result that allowed them to quantify the result as positive. It is important to note that Paramex does not comment on the levels found in your results. Information may be available online in searches to indicate how these testing numbers may relate to frequency of quantity of drug use.
Urine Testing
How far back does the testing show results for?
Urine testing is still by far the best testing matrix for recent use. Most drugs will show positive in your system for 2-3 days. THC Marijuana will stay around much longer than that, and much longer than most people think (months). Results will show recent use within hours and it is great for showing if someone has remained clean over the weekend or throughout the week. It is more accurate that any other testing matrix.
What does a POSITIVE result mean - exactly?
If you are positive on a Urine LAB test, it is a 99.999% indication that you used the drug listed as a Positive. False positives do not exist in Mass Spectrometry testing.
Can't People Cheat on Urine Testing?
Not as well as we can catch them. Paramex will remove as many possibilities as possible for the person to be given the opportunity to cheat. (Empty pockets, secured restroom, before and after hand washing, no items in restroom, no water supply in restroom, checking temperature of urine, validity testing, adulteration testing, strict CCF collection, monitored water consumption, donor ID requirements, and more.) Observed testing is optional is some situations to ensure that the person has not brought in synthetic or warmed up urine in a hidden bottle.
ALLIANCE DNA result example
Legal or Informational: When this symbol is present, it is an indicator that your results and collection process have properly followed the protocols required to make your results court admissible. Once a test is completed as informational, the results cannot be later upgraded to Legal. The set up and collection process are different for Legal DNA testing.
Participants: Not all DNA tests are "Paternity" Paramex understands that this example shows an alleged father, child and mother space. In all results this area will give the details of those included in the testing, race, date their dna was collected by Paramex, and a unique ID associated to their sample at the lab.
DNA RESULT: The result is calculated as a probability. A 0% probability simply means that this is not the father. DNA testing for paternity has stronger result percentages when the mother is tested. Also, testing the mother removes the logic that someone brought in an unrelated child / father combo on purpose to get a desired result of "he is not the father". DNA results will show in the 90 percent field up to 99.99% to show that "HE IS THE DAD"
Certification: This field gives the certification of the lab, the verifying scientist(s), the Notary Seal - for Court Testing, and the address for the testing lab.
DNA index for the tested individuals: These columns show your DNA profiles and can be compared to any other testing labs findings for your DNA. DNA does not change over time.