Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Woodside East, DE

What it is, How it works

With hair testing emerging as a robust means of detecting drug and alcohol use, it offers a longitudinal record of alcohol and drugs by ensnaring biomarkers within the fibers of the hair as it grows. When taken from near the scalp, hair can reveal a detection period of up to roughly 3 months for alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, relatively tamper-resistant, and convenient for shipping.

An ideal sample for both screening and confirmation consists of a 1.5-inch section of roughly 200 hair strands (about the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp, equating to 100mg of hair. For EtG, additions, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is preferable. We advise using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen. If scalp hair is inaccessible, an equivalent amount of body hair may be used. By head hair, we mean only scalp hair, while body hair encompasses every other hair type (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The primary phases of laboratory processing in producing a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

During Accessioning, a sample undergoes the primary step of processing into a lab's system. This step ensures the sample was correctly sealed and transported, assigns an arbitrary LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and concludes any supplementary data entry not furnished by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides an initial drug abuse assessment. Though a budget-friendly measure for negating drug use in most samples, a positive outcome from Screening requires verification to be court-admissible. Any samples yielding a presumptive positive in Screening mandate secondary confirmation.

Should a sample yield a presumptive positive during Screening, additional hair gets pulled from the original sample for Extraction preparation. At this step, drugs are isolated from hair in significantly lower concentrations compared to other methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), contributing to the complexity of hair drug screening.

GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques verify any positive screening results during the Confirmation phase. Necessary washing precedes confirmation for any presumptive positive samples. Throughout the entire laboratory process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, compliance with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 standards is ensured.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use up to 90 days prior, in contrast to urine tests with a shorter detection duration.
• Challenging to manipulate: Manipulating a hair drug test is remarkably challenging, bolstering result accuracy.
• Historical use patterns: It can reveal drug use trends throughout a period, unlike recent-use tests.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Drugs typically take about 5-7 days to register in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs compared to alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and individual hair growth variance influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Commonly referred to as "hair follicle tests", this test assesses the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Woodside East, DE, hair follicle testing holds advantages over traditional urine tests due to its superior detection accuracy and reliability. Unlike urine tests, hair tests can reveal a longer history of drug use, assuring employers of a more comprehensive and assured evaluation.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window of up to 90 days with hair follicle testing in Woodside East, DE offers employers a broad view of an individual’s substance use history. This method provides greater insight compared to shorter-term tests like urine testing.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Woodside East, DE serves as a tamper-resistant method, substantially lowering the risk of sample adulteration. This ensures the results remain valid and trustworthy, reinforcing confidence in testing outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient locations nationwide and locally in Woodside East, DE, accessing hair follicle testing services is simple and hassle-free. Individuals and businesses benefit from the ease and speed of our widely available testing centers.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Woodside East, DE, the hair follicle testing process is straightforward and confidential. Every step, from ordering the test to obtaining results, prioritizes privacy and ease, making it user-friendly and secure.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

The hair follicle testing services in Woodside East, DE offer competitive pricing and rapid turnaround times. Companies of varying sizes appreciate the cost-effectiveness and quick results, enhancing value and confidence in testing services.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Woodside East, DE, hair follicle testing provides fast and reliable results, distinguishing itself through high precision in substance detection. Results are not only quick but also boast impressive accuracy, ensuring that substance use is correctly identified and addressed.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Woodside East, DE find peace of mind with hair follicle testing, as it aids in upholding drug-free workplace policies. This method minimizes legal risks and boosts safety within the work environment through reliable compliance.

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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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