Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Deerfield, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has become recognized as an effective means for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair strands offer a comprehensive history of alcohol and drug intake by embedding biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When taken near the scalp, hair can supply nearly a 3-month detection period for substances. Collecting hair is straightforward, relatively hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch sample consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (about the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp can yield 100mg of hair, considered the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It's advisable to measure the sample weight with a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be unavailable, an equivalent volume of body hair may be used. By head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair, while body hair denotes all other hair types (such as facial or axillary hair).

Process Overview

The drug test result processing in a laboratory encompasses four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the initial intake of a sample into the lab’s system. This phase ensures the sample was properly sealed and transported, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any supplementary data entry that isn't handled by an electronic chain of custody process.

Screening entails an initial rapid assessment for drug presence. Despite its cost-efficiency in ruling out drugs in most samples, a positive screen requires confirmation for legal acceptance. Any sample that tests presumptively positive in Screening must undergo secondary verification.

Should a sample indicate positive results during Screening, further hair is taken from the existing specimen for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are removed from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other testing methods (such as urine or saliva), making hair drug screening particularly challenging.

Confirmation of any positive results from screening employs techniques like GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples that are presumptively positive are cleaned before confirmation if needed. The comprehensive lab procedure from Accessioning through Confirmation conforms to both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair specifications and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Merits of hair drug analysis:

• Extended detection timeframe: Hair drug tests can unveil drug usage up to 90 days prior, which is longer than the detection period for urine tests.
• Hard to falsify: Hair drug tests are difficult to manipulate, ensuring greater result accuracy.
• Offers usage patterns: They reveal drug utilization trends across periods, not solely recent use.

Drawbacks:

• Cannot pinpoint recent consumption: Detection of drugs in hair typically commences 5-7 days post-use.
• Expense: Hair drug testing tends to be pricier than alternative drug testing options.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and personal hair growth differences may influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Though often termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually examines the hair strands instead of the follicles beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing hair follicle testing to traditional urine tests in Deerfield, IL, the benefits are clear.
Hair testing boasts superior detection accuracy and reliability. It allows for extensive drug use history insights that urine testing cannot match.
Employers find hair testing invaluable for maintaining drug-free workplaces, recognizing its longer detection window and difficulty in manipulation.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Deerfield, IL proudly represents an extended detection window of up to 90 days, granting employers a comprehensive view of an individual's drug use history.
This capability greatly assists in examining an applicant or employee's long-term substance interactions, emphasizing more reliable hiring decisions.
Such prolonged evaluation is beyond the scope of traditional testing methods.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Employing hair follicle testing in Deerfield, IL significantly reduces the risk of sample tampering.
The robust nature of hair samples offers reliable and unquestionable results, ensuring the integrity of the testing process.
With this tamper-resistant method, both employers and testing subjects alike achieve a higher degree of assurance in the results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Testing in Deerfield, IL is enhanced by the convenience of our nationwide and local testing centers.
These strategically located facilities ensure testing accessibility in a hassle-free manner for both employers and individuals.
Quick service availability underscores our commitment to providing straightforward testing logistics.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Deerfield, IL is characterized by its simplicity and confidentiality.
The straightforward approach to ordering, conducting, and receiving results guarantees privacy.
Concerns regarding sensitive information handling are efficiently addressed through our refined, discreet process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Avail of affordable pricing and quick turnaround with hair follicle testing in Deerfield, IL.
Competitive rates combined with timely results offer excellent value for companies across all sectors.
This service provides assurance and efficiency, reinforcing economic prudence without sacrificing quality or detail.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Deerfield, IL offers fast, accurate, and reliable hair follicle testing, highlighting its superior precision and speed. This method ensures high accuracy in detecting substance use, providing invaluable information for decision-making processes.
The efficiency of hair testing expedites the delivery of results, allowing for prompt administrative responses.
Employers and individuals alike benefit from these detailed and trustworthy results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and peace of mind are assured for employers in Deerfield, IL with hair follicle testing.
This method strengthens adherence to workplace drug-free policies, minimizes legal risks, and substantially increases workplace safety.
Such assurances grant employers confidence in maintaining a secure and compliant workplace 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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