Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Hamel, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has become recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. It offers a prolonged history of substance use by encasing biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. When gathered close to the scalp, hair can provide a detection period of up to roughly three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch section of around 200 hair strands (similarly sized to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the preferred sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests surpassing 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. It's suggested to measure the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn't available, an equivalent volume of body hair can be collected. When discussing head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair varieties (e.g., facial, axillary).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning involves the preliminary handling of a sample into a laboratory’s database. This entails verifying the sample's proper sealing and shipping, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any further data entry not generated by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a fast preliminary check for drug abuse. While it's a cost-efficient method to exclude drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be validated for court admissibility. Any samples with presumed positive results in Screening need a further confirmation.

Should a sample show presumptive positivity in Screening, more hair is taken from the initial sample and prepped for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are pulled from the hair at a lower concentration than through other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting why hair drug testing is the most complex method to carry out.

Confirmation of any positive screen result is performed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumed positive samples are washed before confirmation, as required. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and certification to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, contrasting urine tests that have a reduced detection period.
• Hard to manipulate: It is incredibly challenging to alter hair drug test outcomes, thus increasing accuracy.
• Offers historical insights: It can show a timeline of drug use over a stretch of time, not just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent use: It needs about 5-7 days for drugs to be detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically pricier than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Elements like hair color and individual disparities in hair growth can impact the result's drug metabolite concentration.

Note: While often termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis itself examines the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Hamel, IL, hair follicle testing consistently outperforms traditional urine tests.
While urine tests only indicate recent substance use, hair testing offers a superior detection window of up to 90 days.
This broader detection enhances its reliability for employers seeking a comprehensive assessment.

The increased accuracy of hair tests makes them a trusted method for drug-free workplaces, ensuring peace of mind for all involved parties.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window of hair follicle testing in Hamel, IL, is a significant advantage.
Unlike other forms of testing, it scrutinizes substance use history over a 90-day period, offering a considerable time frame to understand an individual's drug history more comprehensively.

This comprehensive window allows employers to make informed decisions about potential hires or current employees, safeguarding the integrity of their workforce.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Hamel, IL, effectively reduces the risk of sample adulteration, ensuring unquestionable results.
This method of testing remains tamper-resistant, offering an unwavering security advantage over traditional alternatives.

The robustness of hair testing procedures makes them a preferred choice where maintaining test integrity is paramount, providing reliable results at all times.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With accessible testing centers across Hamel, IL, and nationwide, Accredited Drug Testing makes hair follicle testing convenient and hassle-free. Prompt access to testing ensures it's easy to engage with our services.

Our nationwide presence means you receive consistent and quality service no matter your location, providing confidence in your testing choice.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Hamel, IL, offered by Accredited Drug Testing, is simple and confidential.
From ordering to receiving results, each step prioritizes privacy, ensuring peace of mind for all parties involved.

Designed with user-friendliness in mind, our testing process assures ease of use without compromising on privacy, making it the go-to choice for reliable testing.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing in Hamel, IL, provides competitive pricing for hair follicle tests, ensuring affordability without compromising quality.
Coupled with fast turnaround times, our services offer excellent value, catering to companies of all sizes.

By choosing our affordable solutions, businesses can efficiently manage their substance use screening needs with confidence and cost-effectiveness.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The hair follicle drug tests conducted in Hamel, IL, are renowned for their speed and precision. They provide exceptionally reliable results, offering high accuracy in detecting substance use over an extended period.

With a streamlined analysis process, these tests ensure results are fast and significantly accurate, ensuring individuals and organizations achieve trustworthy outcomes from their testing experiences.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Implementing hair follicle drug testing in Hamel, IL, aids in compliance with drug-free workplace policies.
It helps reduce legal risks and enhances overall workplace safety, offering peace of mind to employers and ensuring a safer work environment.

By relying on this comprehensive testing method, organizations adhere to the highest standards of substance management, safeguarding their operational and legal standing.

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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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