Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Kedron, AR

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has become understood as a significant method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair provides an extended timeline of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the strands of the growing hair. Gathering hair near the scalp can reveal a detection time frame of up to roughly three months for alcohol and other substances. Hair sampling is easy, somewhat resistant to tampering, and convenient for shipping.

A 1.5-inch section of roughly 200 hair strands (around the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the optimal sample size for analysis. For EtG, additional tests, and/or assessments exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale for measuring the specimen is recommended. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent quantity of body hair may be gathered. When discussing head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning refers to entering a sample initially into a lab’s system, which includes verifying the sample's proper sealing and shipping, assigning a secure LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any extra data entry absent in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails an initial rapid examination for drugs of misuse. While Screening is a resourceful approach to exclude drug usage in most samples, a positive screen must undergo confirmation to be court-admissible. Samples showing presumptive positivity in Screening necessitate secondary confirmation.

If a sample is found presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample and prepped for Extraction. At this point, drugs are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations than other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting why hair drug screening is notably challenging to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is performed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples showing presumptive positivity are cleaned prior to confirmation if necessary. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized in line with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can reveal drug use lasting up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a more limited detection time.
• Hard to falsify: Tampering with a hair drug test is difficult, enhancing result reliability.
• Offers historical information: Displays a drug use pattern over duration, not solely recent use.

Limitations:

• Incapable of spotting recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair only after approximately 5-7 days.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests incur higher costs than other testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors like hair pigmentation and individual hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Though often called "hair follicle tests," the analysis actually examines the hair strand rather than the hair follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing hair follicle tests to traditional urine analyses, the advantages are clear. In Kedron, AR, hair testing provides superior detection accuracy and reliability.
The extended detection window highlights past substance use, offering a wider perspective than urine tests can achieve.

Extended Detection Window

Employers in Kedron, AR benefit from hair follicle tests, which unveil drug use up to 90 days in the past.
This method provides a comprehensive overview of substance history, crucial for informed hiring and employment continuation decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Kedron, AR, reduces the risk of sample tampering significantly.
With results that are difficult to manipulate, these tests ensure integrity and trustworthiness, providing solid evidence in substance use evaluations.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient testing locations across the U.S. and dedicated centers in Kedron, AR, accessing drug testing services is straightforward.
Our widespread network ensures services are quick, easy, and hassle-free.

Simple, Confidential Process

The drug testing process in Kedron, AR, is designed to be simple and confidential.
From ordering to results, privacy concerns are addressed, ensuring a straightforward and discreet experience for all clients.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our competitive pricing and rapid turnaround make hair follicle testing in Kedron, AR, accessible to businesses of all sizes.
This method offers both excellent value and peace of mind, emphasizing affordability and efficiency in the drug testing process.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Kedron, AR, are renowned for their speed and precision. These tests offer unparalleled accuracy in identifying substance use, ensuring that results are both fast and reliable.
Choosing this method provides confidence in test outcomes, supporting informed decision-making for all involved parties.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Implementing hair follicle testing in Kedron, AR, ensures compliance with drug-free workplace policies, offering employers peace of mind.
This practice minimizes legal risks and enhances overall workplace safety, securing the working environment for all employees.

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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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