Hair Follicle Drug Testing - New Castle, CO

What it is, How it works

Utilization of hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective method to identify drug and alcohol consumption. Hair functions as a chronological record of substance use by capturing biomarkers within the hair's developing fibers. When sampled near the scalp, hair offers an approximate 3-month window for detecting alcohol and drugs. The collection process for hair is straightforward, relatively resistant to tampering, and facilitates easy transportation.

A hair sample measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil's diameter) taken closest to the scalp, provides 100mg of hair, which is the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation. For more extensive testing like EtG, add-ons, or over 10-panel tests, 150mg of the sample is suggested. It's advisable to use a jeweler's scale for weighing the sample. Should scalp hair be absent, a similar quantity of body hair is an alternative. By head hair, we mean only scalp hair, while body hair includes all other varieties (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four primary stages in laboratory processing for a drug test outcome: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the initial step of incorporating a sample into a lab’s system. This involves confirming the sample was securely packaged and dispatched, assigning it a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data entry absent from an electronic custody chain.

Screening serves as a preliminary evaluation for substances of abuse. While Screening is a budget-friendly method to eliminate drug presence in most samples, a positive result must be verified to hold up in legal proceedings. Presumptive positives discovered in Screening necessitate secondary verification.

For samples that show presumptive positives in the Screening stage, additional hair is extracted from the primary sample for the Extraction process. During this step, substances are separated from hair at much lower concentration levels than seen in other methodologies (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing a particularly challenging technique.

Any positive result from Screening is verified through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples showing presumptive positives undergo cleaning before confirmation if required. The comprehensive lab process, spanning from Accessioning to Confirmation, is subject to review under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair criteria and is aligned with ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection span: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage for up to 90 days, as opposed to urine tests with shorter detection periods.
• Resistance to tampering: Altering a hair drug test is notably challenging, ensuring higher accuracy of outcomes.
• Patterns over time: Provides an insight into drug usage patterns over extended periods, not merely recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Limited detection of recent use: Drugs typically become detectable in hair after a lapse of about 5-7 days.
• Higher cost: Generally, hair drug tests incur a higher expense compared to other testing methodologies.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and personal discrepancies in hair growth may influence drug metabolite levels in the hair.

Note: Despite the common term "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually pertains to the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing surpasses urine testing in New Castle, CO by providing a more accurate detection of substance use history. Hair tests are less invasive and offer extended detection periods, unlike traditional urine tests that can only detect recent drug usage. Such accuracy and reliability are pivotal for employers who are keen on maintaining a drug-free environment.

Extended Detection Window

Employers in New Castle, CO benefit from hair follicle tests due to their extended detection window. Capable of identifying drug use up to 90 days, these tests provide a more comprehensive perspective of an individual's substance history. This longer period ensures that employers have a thorough understanding of an applicant or current employee’s behavior beyond recent weeks.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In New Castle, CO, utilizing hair follicle tests significantly decreases the risk of sample tampering. Unlike other testing methods, hair tests collect samples in a way that makes them difficult to adulterate, ensuring reliable and unquestionable results. This integrity is essential for confirming an accurate representation of drug use.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Enjoy the convenience of having numerous nationwide testing centers and local facilities throughout New Castle, CO. Accredited Drug Testing guarantees quick, easy, and hassle-free access to testing services, ensuring swift and efficient processes at your disposal for all testing needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

Experience a simple and confidential testing process in New Castle, CO, starting with easy ordering of tests online, followed by a discreet collection method, all the way to receiving your results securely. Enhanced privacy concerns are thoroughly addressed, making this process both seamless and reliable.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

With competitive pricing structures and fast turnaround times in New Castle, CO, Accredited Drug Testing offers excellent value with its hair follicle testing services. Companies of all sizes can benefit from this affordability and efficiency, providing reassurance and peace of mind with every test conducted.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In New Castle, CO, hair follicle drug tests offer fast, accurate, and reliable results. Precision is a hallmark of hair testing as it can precisely pinpoint substance use, ensuring high accuracy that can be trusted. Results are typically processed quickly which aids swift decision-making while maintaining stringent standards for consistency and reliability in substance detection.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in New Castle, CO can benefit from the peace of mind provided by hair follicle testing which helps ensure compliance with workplace drug-free policies. This method supports in mitigating legal risks and enhancing the safety and security of the workplace, by maintaining strict adherence to company guidelines and regulations.

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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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