Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Elkins, AR

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is acknowledged as an effective means for detecting alcohol and drug use. Hair offers a prolonged detection history of substances by embedding biomarkers within the growing hair strands. When picked near the scalp, hair can reflect drug or alcohol use over a 3-month timeframe. Its collection is straightforward, tampering is challenging, and it’s easily transported.

Collecting a 1.5-inch section approximately consisting of 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp yields about 100mg, which is optimal for testing and confirmation. For tests like EtG, additional panels, or those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg is advisable. Measuring the sample's weight on a jeweler’s scale is suggested. If scalp hair isn't available, a similar quantity of body hair can be collected. References to head hair specifically denote scalp hair, whereas body hair covers other types like facial or axillary hair.

Process Overview

The primary phases in a laboratory's drug testing process include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the preliminary step of integrating a sample into the lab system. This includes ensuring proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing additional data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening serves as an initial, efficient check for drug substances. While it effectively rules out drug use in numerous cases, any positive screen must be confirmed for legal admissibility. All presumptively positive samples in Screening need a follow-up confirmation.

Should a sample indicate a presumptive positive result at the Screening phase, additional hair from the initial sample is prepared for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted from the hair at much lower concentrations than alternative methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair testing is notoriously challenging.

Confirmation of any positive result from screening is accomplished using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptively positive samples are washed before confirmation as necessary. The comprehensive laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection span: Hair drug tests can identify drug use spanning up to 90 days, unlike urine tests that offer a shorter timeframe.
• Difficulty in tampering: Cheating a hair drug test is very tough, thus enhancing accuracy.
• Provides historical insight: It reveals a timeline of drug use that extends beyond just recent acts.

Limitations:

• Incapable of spotting recent use: It requires about 5-7 days for drugs to appear in hair.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests are pricier than other testing techniques.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and various hair growth rates can influence drug metabolite levels in the hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", they actually assess the hair strands rather than the follicles beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Elkins, AR, hair follicle testing proves superior to traditional urine tests. The enhanced detection accuracy and reliability of hair testing make it an optimal choice over conventional urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Elkins, AR offers an extended detection window of up to 90 days, allowing employers to gain a thorough understanding of an individual's drug use history.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Elkins, AR finds hair follicle tests to be a tamper-resistant method. These tests significantly mitigate the risk of sample adulteration, ensuring the integrity of test results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient nationwide testing centers, including in Elkins, AR, accessing drug testing services is simple and hassle-free, catering to locations both local and widespread.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process in Elkins, AR for hair follicle testing is straightforward and confidential, addressing privacy concerns and ensuring an easy experience for ordering, testing, and receiving results.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Elkins, AR boasts competitive pricing and fast turnaround times for hair follicle tests, offering exceptional value and assurance for businesses of all sizes.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Elkins, AR benefits from the fast and accurate nature of hair follicle drug tests. These tests are renowned for their high precision in detecting substance use, making them a preferred choice for quick results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For Elkins, AR employers, hair follicle testing supports compliance with drug-free policies, reducing legal risks and offering peace of mind by enhancing workplace safety.

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What's New In Hair Follicle Drug Testing according to the Hair Drug Testing Experts

With its multidisciplinary nature, hair testing brings together researchers, scientists, and experts from various domains to develop innovative techniques, explore new methodologies, and address emerging concerns, responding to the ever-evolving challenges of drug abuse, therapeutic drug monitoring, and environmental exposures to pollutants.

The joint meeting of the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) and the Italian Group of Forensic Toxicologists (GTFI) was organized in Verona, June 8–10, 2022, and hosted by the Legal Medicine team of the Verona University Hospital, directed by Franco Tagliaro together with Federica Bortolotti and Rossella Gottardo.

It served as a prominent platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, facilitating groundbreaking advancements in hair testing and analysis. In this special issue of Drug Testing and Analysis, we aim to showcase the remarkable manuscripts presented at this significant event, shedding light on the latest research and highlighting the future directions in this field.

Novel Analytical Techniques: The Verona meeting witnessed the unveiling of cutting-edge analytical techniques, offering enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and accuracy for drug testing. Remarkable advancements in sample preparation, detection, and identification of drug compounds have been presented. The manuscripts in this section presented novel approaches, such as multianalyte methods and on-line preparation which can enable rapid analysis and improve thorough forensic investigations.

Biomarkers and Pharmacokinetics: The identification and validation of reliable biomarkers and pharmacokinetic studies are fundamental aspects of drug testing and analysis. The impact of hair treatments on the oxidation/decomposition of drugs in hair was also explored, as the long-term fate of drugs incorporated in the keratin matrix. Furthermore, the SoHT meeting in Verona featured research on the identification and quantification of alcohol abuse biomarkers, their stability, and their correlation with exposure and other biomarkers.

Forensic Applications and Interpretation: One of the vital objectives of hair testing is its application in forensic investigations and legal proceedings. The SoHT meeting in Verona emphasized the significance of rigorous interpretation of analytical results and the need for standardized protocols. Manuscripts in this section present advancements in forensic toxicology, and have explored the challenges posed by emerging designer drugs and strategies to combat their proliferation. The pitfalls encountered when the exogenous/endogenous nature of a substance is questioned were presented and discussed. The special issue presents also manuscripts that delve into the ethical implications of drug testing in drug facilitated sexual assaults.

Clinical Applications of hair testing are witnessed by the insight on environmental tobacco smoke exposure, assessed by hair analysis in a population of students and the study of in utero-exposure to drugs of abuse through neonatal hair analysis. Exposure to drugs was also important in cases of child abuse/neglect, when the clinical purpose of hair testing merge with its forensic applications.

The legal framework surrounding hair testing and the achievement of guidelines to ensure fairness, accuracy, and confidentiality in drug testing practices have also been discussed,and the SoHT consensus on general hair testing and testing for drugs of abuse was presented at the meeting and published as a Letter to the Editor.

In conclusion, the special issue of Drug Testing and Analysis, featuring manuscripts from the SoHT–GTFI meeting in Verona 2022, reflects the remarkable advancements achieved in this field. The manuscripts provide valuable insights into novel analytical techniques, biomarkers, pharmacokinetics, forensic applications, and ethical considerations. As we embrace these advancements, we pave the way for a safer, healthier society, where drug testing and analysis serve as powerful tools in protecting public health and maintaining integrity in various sectors. The research presented in this special issue will undoubtedly shape the future of drug testing and analysis, fostering collaboration and inspiring further innovation in this crucial area of scientific inquiry.

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