Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Indian Creek, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. This technique offers a long-term overview of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the hair strand as it grows. When hair is collected near the scalp, it can reflect a detection period of up to about three months for both alcohol and drugs. The process of hair collection is straightforward, with low risk of tampering, and ensures easy shipment.

Obtaining a 1.5-inch segment comprising roughly 200 strands of hair (similar to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, serving as the optimal specimen for both screening and confirmation purposes. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, a specimen of 150mg is suggested. It's advisable to weigh the specimen using a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent volume of body hair can be gathered. When mentioning head hair, this exclusively implies scalp hair. Conversely, body hair denotes all other forms (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning refers to the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory’s system. This stage includes verifying that the sample was properly sealed and shipped, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any supplementary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening consists of a preliminary examination for substances of abuse. While Screening is a cost-efficient means to negate drug usage in most samples, a positive result is requisite for confirmation to be valid in legal contexts. Any samples preliminarily positive in Screening mandate a subsequent confirmation.

Should a sample exhibit a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen and prepped for Extraction. During Extraction, substances are retrieved from hair at significantly reduced concentrations compared to other techniques (such as urine or oral fluid), highlighting hair drug screening as the most complex methodology to conduct.

Confirmatory analysis of any positive screening result is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives are cleansed preceding confirmation as necessary. The complete laboratory protocol from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation compliant with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extensive detection window: Hair drug tests are capable of identifying drug usage for up to 90 days, in contrast to urine tests with a more limited detection timeframe.
• Challenges in deception: Evading a hair drug test is notably challenging, therefore enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical usage data: It can provide a historical record of drug usage over time, not merely recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent consumption: There is a period of approximately 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing typically incurs higher costs than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the procedure examines the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing is preferable to urine tests for several reasons in Indian Creek, IL. Firstly, hair tests offer a longer detection window, capturing drug use over months rather than days. This extended timeline provides a detailed view of an individual's substance history. Additionally, hair tests are hard to cheat, ensuring employers obtain accurate and reliable results compared to urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

With its ability to trace drug use back up to 90 days, hair follicle testing offers an extensive detection window. This feature is invaluable for employers in Indian Creek, IL, who aim to assess an employee's long-term substance behavior. Such an extended history empowers employers to make informed hiring or retention decisions, ensuring a safe and drug-free workplace environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing significantly reduces the chance of sample tampering in Indian Creek, IL. Unlike urine testing, where samples can be adulterated, hair tests provide unquestionable reliability. The collection process involves cutting hair from the scalp, a method integral to maintaining sample integrity, and enhancing trust in the results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With numerous testing centers across the nation, including those in Indian Creek, IL, Accredited Drug Testing ensures that accessing hair follicle testing is convenient and effortless. These widespread locations facilitate quick, hassle-free service, making it easy for individuals to undergo testing without unnecessary delay or travel inconvenience.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our hair follicle testing procedure in Indian Creek, IL, is straightforward and confidential. Ordering, performing, and receiving results are all conducted with privacy and ease in mind. This simple and secure approach addresses any concerns about discretion, ensuring individuals feel comfortable throughout the testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing provides competitive pricing and swift turnaround times for hair follicle tests in Indian Creek, IL. Our cost-effective pricing structure offers exceptional value, while ensuring that results are delivered promptly. This makes our services accessible to companies of all sizes, offering peace of mind and financial prudence.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Indian Creek, IL, hair follicle drug tests guarantee fast, precise, and reliable outcomes. This testing method is highly effective in identifying substance usage with remarkable accuracy. By detecting drug traces embedded in the hair, the process offers both rapid and dependable results, establishing hair follicle testing as a superior choice in drug detection technology.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Indian Creek, IL, experience peace of mind and compliance assurance by opting for hair follicle testing. This method supports adherence to drug-free workplace policies, mitigating the risk of legal ramifications and amplifying overall safety. Hair tests are an integral part of a strategic approach to maintaining a healthy, 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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