Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Enfield, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has evolved as an influential method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the hair strand as it grows, hair offers a historical record of alcohol and other drug use. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer an alcohol and drug detection timeframe of up to nearly three months. Collecting hair is straightforward, tampering is relatively challenging, and it is easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil's diameter) from the scalp gives 100mg of hair, which is the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, extended panels, or tests beyond 10 panels, a 150mg sample is suggested. It's best to weigh the sample using a jeweler's scale. If scalp hair is not accessible, a similar quantity of body hair may be used. When we mention head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair, while body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The process of lab testing for drug detection follows four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the sample's initial introduction into the lab's system, ensuring the sample is sealed and transported correctly, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any added data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening provides a primary check for drug presence. While this method is an economical way to exclude drug use in most samples, any positive findings must be confirmed for court admissibility. Samples that test positive in Screening need further confirmation.

For samples testing positive during Screening, more hair is extracted from the original sample for the Extraction phase. At this point, drugs are extracted at a lower concentration than alternative methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging method to conduct.

Positive Screening results are confirmed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. All samples with presumptive positive results are cleaned as necessary before confirmation. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug testing can reveal drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests that have a shorter detection span.
• Difficult to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is notably tough, leading to more reliable outcomes.
• Yields historical insights: It displays a pattern of drug usage over time, not merely recent consumption.

Drawbacks:

• Cannot indicate recent use: A period of about 5-7 days is needed for drugs to show up in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing tends to be pricier than other testing techniques.
• Outcome discrepancies: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth differences can alter drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Even though termed as "hair follicle tests," the analysis is done on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing: In Enfield, IL, hair testing stands superior to traditional urine tests, offering enhanced detection reliability. Hair follicle tests can uncover substance use over a more extended timeframe, providing a more accurate picture of one's drug history compared to the limited scope of urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window: Hair follicle testing in Enfield, IL offers a significant advantage with its extended detection window, revealing substance use for up to 90 days. This comprehensive overview aids employers in assessing the long-term drug history of potential or existing employees, ensuring informed hiring decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method: Hair follicle tests in Enfield, IL dramatically decrease tampering risks, yielding reliable and unquestionable results. The difficulty of altering or substituting hair samples ensures the integrity and authenticity of the testing process, providing peace of mind for all stakeholders.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations: With various testing centers throughout the nation, including local sites in Enfield, IL, accessing hair follicle drug testing is quick and hassle-free. This convenience makes it easy to arrange testing services without undue delays or complications.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process: The process for ordering, conducting, and receiving hair follicle test results in Enfield, IL is designed to be straightforward and private. This ensures that clients experience ease of use and confidentiality, alleviating privacy concerns and fostering a smooth testing experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround: In Enfield, IL, our competitive pricing and rapid turnaround times make hair follicle testing both economical and efficient. Companies of various sizes can appreciate the excellent value coupled with swift results, ensuring peace of mind at a reasonable cost.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results: Hair follicle drug tests in Enfield, IL offer unmatched precision and speed. This method ensures accurate detection of substance use, providing quick and highly reliable results. Employers and individuals benefit from this timely and accurate testing, perfect for making informed decisions.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers: By incorporating hair follicle testing, Enfield, IL employers can effectively maintain compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This testing approach reduces legal risks and enhances safety, offering peace of mind by ensuring a safe and productive work 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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