Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Success, AR

What it is, How it works

Hair tests have gained recognition as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended timeline of drug and alcohol use by capturing biomarkers in the strands of growing hair. If collected near the scalp, hair can reveal drug and alcohol use over an approximate 3-month period. Hair is straightforward to gather, relatively hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch section containing about 200 strands (comparable to a #2 pencil's thickness) proximal to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the optimal quantity for analysis. For EtG, supplemental/extended tests exceeding 10 panels, a quantity of 150mg is advised. We advise utilizing a jeweler’s scale for specimen measurement. If scalp hair isn't accessible, an equivalent amount of body hair can be utilized. "Head hair" specifies scalp hair only, while "body hair" encompasses all other forms (e.g., facial, axillary).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning refers to the preliminary handling of a sample within the lab's system. This process verifies the proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any missing data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening executes an initial scan for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is an economical method to exclude drug use for most samples, a positive outcome requires confirmation to be legally valid. Samples with presumed positive results in Screening necessitate an additional verification step.

For samples deemed presumptively positive during Screening, an additional hair portion is extracted from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing the most intricate methodology to conduct.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumed positive samples are washed prior to confirmation as needed. The full laboratory process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is reviewed under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can determine drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a more limited detection timeframe.
• Challenging to fake: Cheating a hair drug test is difficult, leading to more reliable results.
• Offers historical insight: It provides a trend of drug use over time, beyond just recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent use: Drugs take roughly 5-7 days to become noticeable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically costlier than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variations: Hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Despite often being called "hair follicle tests," the analysis is conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In the comparison of hair against urine testing in Success, AR, hair follicle methods show superior detection accuracy. They outperform traditional urine tests by offering dependable results with a longer detection period, increasing reliability for many circumstances.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Success, AR, extends detection capabilities up to 90 days. It grants employers a detailed overview of an individual's substance use history, which urine tests can't match. This comprehensive insight aids in informed decision-making processes.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing offers a tamper-resistant solution in Success, AR. Its method minimizes sample adulteration risk, delivering reliable results. This integrity gives stakeholders confidence in the testing process’s authenticity.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our nationwide locations, including those in Success, AR, provide convenient and quick access to testing services. They ensure a seamless, hassle-free testing experience, so clients can obtain their results efficiently.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for ordering and receiving hair test results in Success, AR, is simple and confidential. It respects client privacy, ensuring ease of use and addressing any concerns regarding discretion in the process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing offers competitive pricing in Success, AR, along with rapid turnaround times. This provides valuable peace of mind, ensuring all companies, regardless of size, have access to necessary services affordably.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle tests promise fast, accurate, and reliable results in Success, AR. They offer high precision in detecting substance use, ensuring clients receive dependable data. With advanced technology, these tests accurately capture substance history, providing assured outcomes that outshine traditional methods.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Success, AR, hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free policies. It reduces legal risks and heightens workplace safety, contributing to a secure and productive environment.

Drug Testing Near Success, AR

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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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