Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Lisle, IL

What it is, How it works

The efficacy of hair testing as a means to identify drug and alcohol consumption has gained recognition, with hair offering retrospective insights into substance use by trapping indicators within the growing strands. Obtaining hair close to the scalp allows for a detection period extending up to roughly three months for various substances. Collecting hair is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and easily transported.

Gathering a 1.5-inch segment of approximately 200 hair strands (similar to a #2 pencil in thickness) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg, which is the preferred quantity for evaluating and confirming. For EtG, additional analyses, and/or panels exceeding 10, 150mg of hair is advised. It's beneficial to measure the hair specimen on a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be absent, an equivalent volume of body hair can be utilized. Head hair strictly refers to scalp hair, whereas body hair encompasses other varieties (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The process of assessing a drug test outcome in the laboratory encompasses four principal steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves initially recording a sample within a laboratory's system, verifying its secure sealing and shipment, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data entry not already included via an electronic chain of custody.

Screening constitutes a preliminary evaluation for drugs of abuse. Although Screening offers an affordable way to dismiss drug use in most samples, positive results necessitate Verification for legal validity. Any samples showing a presumptive positive during Screening require further confirmation.

Should a sample exhibit presumptive positivity in Screening, additional hair is taken from the original sample and readied for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations when contrasted with other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), hence why hair drug screening presents as the most intricate method to execute.

Verification of any positive Screening outcome is achieved through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before Verification as required. The complete laboratory operation from Accessioning to Verification is performed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair rubric and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection duration: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a more limited detection span.
• Hard to deceive: The challenge in cheating a hair drug test enhances result accuracy.
• Chronicles past usage: It portrays drug use patterns over time, not solely recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent consumption: It takes roughly 5-7 days for drugs to become discernible in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are more costly compared to alternative testing methods.
• Result discrepancies: Hair color and individual variances in hair growth can influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: While commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the procedure examines the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Testing Wins: Lisle, IL sees a greater reliability in hair follicle tests compared to urine tests. The extended detection timeframe and difficulty in tampering make hair tests a superior choice for accurate substance use history.

Comparison: While urine tests offer insight into recent use, their limited window and vulnerability to tampering make them less reliable for a comprehensive assessment of long-term use.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Window: Hair follicle testing in Lisle, IL can track drug use for up to 90 days, unlike shorter-term methods. This extended window provides employers a broader insight into an individual's history with substances.

Comprehensive Insight: By evaluating long-term use, hair tests give a true reflection of an individual's habits, assisting in informed decision-making processes for employment or legal purposes.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Reduced Adulteration Risk: Hair follicle tests in Lisle, IL offer a reliable method that resists tampering, ensuring the integrity of the sample and the validity of results.

Unquestionable Reliability: These tests significantly lower risks associated with sample fraud, providing consistent outcomes that can withstand scrutiny in both professional and legal contexts.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Nationwide Access: Convenient testing locations throughout the nation, including Lisle, IL, ensure that individuals can easily and quickly access the required services.

Local Convenience: With numerous nearby centers, scheduling and attending hair tests becomes hassle-free, fitting effortlessly into an individual's schedule without extensive travel.

Simple, Confidential Process

Effortless Process: In Lisle, IL, the procedure for hair follicle testing is straightforward and secure, with a focus on privacy from testing to results delivery.

Confidentiality Assured: The testing process is designed to ensure that personal data remains protected, allowing users to proceed with peace of mind regarding their privacy.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Competitive Pricing: Accredited Drug Testing in Lisle, IL provides cost-effective hair testing solutions, making high-quality testing accessible to businesses of any size.

Quick Turnaround: With efficient processing times, results are returned swiftly, balancing affordability with timeliness and offering excellent value without compromising quality.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast Results: In Lisle, IL, hair follicle tests provide not only quick results but also a high degree of accuracy. This method allows for efficient substance detection, ensuring prompt decisions based on reliable data.

Accuracy: The ability of hair analysis to detect substances precisely allows for confidence in test outcomes. This reliability is essential for various applications such as employment screening and legal compliance.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Workplace Safety: Utilizing hair testing in Lisle, IL enables companies to maintain drug-free work environments, thereby enhancing safety and compliance with established policies.

Reduced Legal Liability: By adopting hair tests as part of their drug policy, employers can minimize potential legal risks, fostering a more secure and peaceful workplace atmosphere.

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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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