Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Cisco, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is regarded as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair serves as a long-term record of alcohol and drugs, capturing biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When taken from near the scalp, hair can exhibit up to a 3-month timeframe for detecting alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and convenient for shipping.

A 1.5-inch sample that includes roughly 200 hair strands (similar in thickness to a #2 pencil) from nearest the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal amount for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional elements, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It is recommended to weigh the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not present, an equivalent amount of body hair can be collected. When discussing head hair, it pertains solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair forms (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory process for a drug test result involves four main steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the initial handling of a sample within a laboratory’s framework. This involves confirming proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary additional data entry absent in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening consists of a preliminary assessment for drugs of abuse. While Screening serves as an economical method for excluding drug usage in most samples, any positive results require confirmation to be valid in court. Any samples flagged as presumptively positive in Screening necessitate a follow-up confirmation.

Should a sample show presumptive positivity during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations than in other approaches (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging technique to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is performed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as necessary. The entire lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection duration: Hair drug tests identify drug usage for up to 90 days, contrasted with urine tests that have a limited detection period.
• Difficulty in manipulation: Manipulating a hair drug test is highly challenging, ensuring more accurate outcomes.
• Chronicles historical usage: It offers a pattern of drug consumption over time, rather than only recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Roughly 5-7 days are required for drugs to be noticeable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically incur higher costs than other drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and individual growth variations can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Despite frequently being called "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing triumphs over urine screening by offering superior detection accuracy and reliability. In Cisco, IL, individuals benefit from the precise capabilities of hair testing, making it a preferred choice for many employers.

Extended Detection Window

Employers in Cisco, IL, value the extended detection period of hair follicle testing, which spans up to 90 days. This feature provides a thorough overview of an individual's substance use history, crucial for informed decision-making.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests inherently prevent sample adulteration, ensuring the reliability and integrity of results. In Cisco, IL, this offers assurance that the outcomes are definitive and uncompromised.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With testing centers spread nationwide and locally in Cisco, IL, accessing our services is straightforward and hassle-free. This extensive network assures quick and convenient testing experiences for all clients.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process of ordering, taking, and receiving hair follicle test results in Cisco, IL, is both simple and confidential. This ensures that privacy concerns are addressed and users experience ease of use throughout the testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our competitive pricing and rapid turnaround for hair follicle tests in Cisco, IL, offer exceptional value to businesses, coupled with quick result delivery, which instills confidence in clients of any scale.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle testing in Cisco, IL, stands out due to its swift and precise outcomes. The process ensures high detection rates for substance use, providing quick and accurate results that can easily surpass traditional tests.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

In Cisco, IL, using hair follicle testing supports workplace drug-free policies, ensuring compliance and reducing legal liabilities. This method enhances overall safety and offers peace of mind to employers.

Drug Testing Near Cisco, IL

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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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