Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Centreville, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as a formidable method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair strands preserve a long-term record of substance use by capturing biomarkers within the hair's developing fibers. When harvested near the scalp, hair offers up to a roughly 3-month window for detecting alcohol and illicit substances. Hair is straightforward to collect, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment containing approximately 200 hair strands (akin to the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for evaluation and validation. For EtG, supplementary items, and/or examinations exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. It is advisable to measure the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair can be gathered. When talking about head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The primary four steps in the laboratory processing of a drug test result are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes the initial integration of a sample into a lab’s system. This involves ensuring the sample's seal and proper shipment, assigning an arbitrary LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data entry absent in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves an introductory quick assessment for substance abuse. Although Screening is a cost-efficient method to exclude drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be substantiated to be valid in court. Any samples that are tentatively positive during Screening need a follow-up confirmation.

When a sample is tentatively positive at the Screening stage, additional hair is taken from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. In Extraction, substances are withdrawn from hair at a notably lower concentration than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most complex methodology to execute.

Confirmation of any positive Screening result is performed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive specimens are cleansed before confirmation if needed. The entire process from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes an audit under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and compliance with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extensive detection period: Hair drug tests can detect drug use for up to 90 days, which is longer than the shorter window in urine tests.
• Hard to deceive: It is notably hard to tamper with a hair drug test, resulting in more accurate outcomes.
• Offers historical data: It provides a timeline of substance use over time, not merely recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent consumption: Drugs become detectable in hair after roughly 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are usually pricier compared to other drug testing techniques.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can impact drug metabolite concentration in the hair.

Note: While commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle tests in Centreville, IL offer significant advantages over urine tests. Their superior detection capabilities ensure a more accurate and reliable assessment of an individual's substance use history.

Extended Detection Window

With an extended detection window of up to 90 days, hair follicle testing in Centreville, IL provides employers with a comprehensive view of an individual's substance use history, making it an invaluable tool for sound decision-making.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The hair follicle test method in Centreville, IL frontlines in defense against sample tampering, ensuring that results are both trustworthy and indisputable.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Centreville, IL, our extensive network of testing facilities offers unparalleled convenience, ensuring easy access to hassle-free testing services both nationally and locally.

Simple, Confidential Process

Centreville, IL offers a straightforward and private process for hair follicle testing. Our transparent approach addresses any worries about privacy while simplifying the steps from order to result retrieval.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Competitive pricing and swift result turnaround make hair follicle testing in Centreville, IL an attractive option for companies seeking economical solutions without compromising on quality.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The hair follicle drug tests in Centreville, IL stand out for their quick and accurate results. These tests are designed to precisely detect substance use, providing reliability not often matched by other methods.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Centreville, IL can have peace of mind knowing that hair follicle testing upholds workplace drug-free policies, reducing legal liabilities and promoting a secure working environment.

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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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