Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Keo, AR

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is regarded as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended history of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. When taken close to the scalp, hair can furnish roughly a 3-month window for detecting alcohol and drugs. It's easy to gather, somewhat tough to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment containing about 200 pieces of hair (around the diameter of a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields 100mg of hair—the optimal amount for evaluation and validation. For EtG, extras, and/or examinations exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is advisable. We suggest measuring the specimen with a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn't an option, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, it relates solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The primary four stages in the laboratory handling of a drug test outcome are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the initial handling of a sample into a laboratory’s system. This encompasses ensuring the sample was sealed and dispatched correctly, designating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and performing any extra data entry not included by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary swift assessment of drugs of abuse. Though Screening is an economical manner to exclude drug use in the majority of samples, a positive screen must be validated to be acceptable in legal settings. Samples that yield a presumptively positive result in Screening necessitate an additional confirmation.

If a sample shows a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, more hair is retrieved from the initial specimen and readied for Extraction. At this stage, drugs are retrieved from hair at lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is the most challenging method to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screen result is executed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before confirmation as required. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is inspected under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 standards accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage for as long as 90 days, in contrast to urine tests that offer a shorter detection timeline.
• Hard to deceive: Hair drug tests are challenging to manipulate, enhancing result accuracy.
• Displays historical patterns: The test can chart drug use behavior over time, not merely recent intake.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent usage: Drugs generally take 5-7 days to be traceable in hair.
• Price: Hair drug assessments tend to be pricier than some other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Elements like hair color and individual hair growth differences can impact the drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Though frequently termed as "hair follicle tests", the evaluation targets the hair strand itself, excluding the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Keo, AR, hair follicle testing outperforms traditional urine tests clearly. Why choose hair tests? Because their detection accuracy is superior, capturing a broader range of drug histories, unlike urine tests. Hair testing is especially useful for employers monitoring long-term substance use as opposed to only recent usage.
Unlike urine tests, hair analysis offers reliability and remains nearly impossible to taint. This ensures employers gain full knowledge of their workforce’s drug habits.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window gives hair follicle testing a significant edge in Keo, AR. Unlike urine tests, hair tests reveal substance usage over an extended period—up to 90 days. This provides a thorough picture of an employee or candidate's substance use history.
Employers gain a comprehensive outlook into behavior and reliability, allowing them to make informed decisions based on historical substance use rather than just recent activity.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Keo, AR's hair follicle testing is impressively tamper-resistant. Sample alteration becomes a negligible concern, given that hair samples are tough to manipulate. This assures employers that they are getting genuine results.
The method’s integrity ensures individuals are assessed truthfully, allowing for clear and concise judgment in drug policy enforcement. Hair analysis brings reliability to drug testing, offering trustworthy and consistent results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our Keo, AR facilities ensure convenience in drug testing with locations nationwide. No matter your city, our centers are ideally situated to provide easy access to testing services.
Quick and easy physicist convenience is assured, relieving any worries of extensive travel to meet testing requirements. This broad availability supports both individuals seeking voluntary testing and companies looking for organized employee examinations, ensuring process completeness.

Simple, Confidential Process

With Accredited Testing in Keo, AR, experience a simple and confidential drug testing process. From order placement to sample taking to result retrieval, every step prioritizes privacy and ease.
Clients find the process straightforward, ensuring fewer complexities and quicker result delivery. Confidentiality is maintained throughout, offering relief and assurance that all personal data remains confidential and secure.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Testing in Keo, AR offers competitive pricing on hair follicle testing with swift turnarounds, providing outstanding value.
Whether for small local businesses or large corporations, pricing structures are designed to accommodate various needs without sacrificing quality or speed. This approach ensures customer satisfaction, as test results become available quickly, aiding in timely decision-making.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The precision and swiftness of hair follicle drug testing are unmatched in Keo, AR. Hair tests offer high accuracy in identifying substance use, ensuring reliable readings when determining drug use. This method leaves little room for error and ensures fast analysis.
Results from hair follicle tests not only meet but often exceed laboratory standards. Their ability to furnish accurate patterns of abuse makes them invaluable to those needing decisive evidence in substance identification.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Hair follicle testing helps employers in Keo, AR achieve workplace safety and legal compliance. Ensures peace of mind by adhering to drug-free workplace policies, significantly reducing legal risks.
Beyond legislation compliance, such testing boosts workplace morale and safety. Employee responsibility increases when they’re aware of stringent drug testing protocols. For managers, it brings confidence and assurance that workplace standards are being maintained.

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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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