Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Oak Brook, IL

What it is, How it works

Recognition of hair testing has increased as a significant method for detecting drug and alcohol use. This form of testing delivers extended historical data on alcohol and other drug usage by encasing biomarkers within the strands of growing hair. When collected near the scalp, it can offer an approximate three-month detection period for alcohol and other drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment comprising roughly 200 strands (akin to the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the preferable sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg sample is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for measuring the specimen. In the absence of scalp hair, a similar quantity of body hair might be utilized. Head hair pertains specifically to scalp hair, while body hair includes all other types such as facial or axillary hair.

Process Overview

The lab processing for a drug test result encompasses four core stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning comprises the preliminary handling of a sample into a laboratory's system. This stage verifies that the sample is appropriately sealed and shipped, allocates a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any supplemental data entry not processed by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening performs an initial rapid assessment for substance abuse. Although Screening is a cost-efficient strategy to exclude drug usage for most samples, a positive screen requires confirmation to be legally valid. Samples testing presumptive positive in Screening necessitate further confirmation.

In instances of a presumptive positive result at the Screening phase, additional hair is drawn from the initial sample and readied for Extraction. Here, drug extraction from hair occurs at considerably lower concentrations compared to other techniques (like urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening a challenging methodology.

Confirmation of any positive result from Screening is achieved through methods such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as necessary. The entirety of the laboratory process spanning from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug testing can identify drug usage within a 90-day frame, in contrast to urine tests with shorter detection durations.
• Hard to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is notably strenuous, resulting in more reliable outcomes.
• Delivers usage patterns: Provides an insight into drug consumption patterns over time, beyond merely recent use.

Limitations:

• Recent use detection: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days post-ingestion.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests entail higher costs than alternative methods.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and individual growth differences may influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although frequently called "hair follicle tests," the analysis is conducted on the hair shaft, not the follicle below the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Oak Brook, IL, hair follicle testing surpasses traditional urine examinations due to its enhanced detection accuracy and reliability. The prolonged detection window of hair analyses provides better insights into an individual's substance history, ensuring a more comprehensive evaluation over time.

While urine tests are a common method, hair follicle tests offer superior benefits. These include a longer look-back period and the impossibility to beat the test, making it a preferred choice for organizations that enforce strict drug-free policies.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window offered by hair follicle tests in Oak Brook, IL, traces drug use for up to 90 days. This capability provides employers with a detailed view of an individual's substance use history, invaluable information when making employee-related decisions based on substance-free policies.

Unlike short-term urine tests, hair tests deliver an expanded perspective into past substance use, allowing decision-makers to assess historical patterns reliably, ensuring a thorough understanding of an applicant or employee's long-term behavior.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Oak Brook, IL, significantly minimizes risks associated with sample tampering. By using hair samples, there's little room for manipulation, providing results that are trustworthy and reliable, and ensuring integrity throughout the testing process.

Unlike other methods, hair analyses offer an observed collection approach that further hardens the method against any adulteration attempts, making it a steeped solution for validity and security in drug testing protocols.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing ensures convenience in Oak Brook, IL, through a broad network of nationwide and local centers. This allows for fast, straightforward connection to testing services, removing barriers to entry and facilitating timely assessments with ease and efficiency.

With a presence in numerous locations, individuals and businesses can readily access testing facilities without encountering delays or logistical difficulties, promoting a stress-free process tailored to customer convenience.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Oak Brook, IL, the straightforward process of hair follicle testing emphasizes simplicity and confidentiality, reassuring individuals of privacy and ease of use from the first step of ordering to receiving results without undue complications.

The process maintains a discreet and efficient pathway, allowing users to navigate testing effortlessly. This ensures clients receive results securely, underscoring the importance of confidentiality throughout the testing journey.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering affordable pricing and rapid processing, drug testing in Oak Brook, IL, strengthens its commitment to deliver value without compromise. Competitive pricing structures and quick turnaround establish a reliable choice for businesses looking to stay within budget without sacrificing quality or timeliness.

The combination of economical costs and expeditious service provides exceptional value, granting companies of varying sizes the opportunity to maintain a drug-free environment efficiently and cost-effectively.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The hair follicle drug test delivers quick, precise, and dependable outcomes in Oak Brook, IL. By employing sophisticated analysis techniques, these tests ensure high-level accuracy in substance detection, offering peace of mind and trustworthy results creating a reliable testing environment.

The rapidity and fidelity of hair follicle tests make them an excellent choice for urgent and necessary evaluations, presenting fast turnaround from sample collection to results, thereby accelerating decision-making processes in various scenarios.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Oak Brook, IL, can achieve compliance and peace of mind by utilizing hair follicle testing. This ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies, mitigating legal and safety risks, and enhancing overall workplace security through stringent, reliable substance testing.

Implementing hair tests helps employers align with legal and safety requirements, safeguarding the business and its employees by proactively preventing substance use and its associated implications within professional settings.

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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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