Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Sadorus, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is now widely accepted as an effective means of detecting substance and alcohol consumption. It captures a long-term record of the consumption of alcohol and other drugs by embedding biomarkers in the strands of growing hair. When obtained near the scalp, hair can offer a detection window of up to about three months for alcohol and other substances. It's straightforward to collect, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.

An optimal sample for both screening and confirmation is a 1.5-inch cut comprising roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp, providing 100mg of hair. For EtG, additional tests, or tests exceeding 10 panels, a sample weighing 150mg is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. If scalp hair isn't available, an equivalent volume of body hair can be collected. By head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result includes four main stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning marks the initial step of integrating a sample into the laboratory’s database. This step involves checking that the sample was properly sealed and transported, assigning a random LAB (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data entry that an electronic chain of custody system may not cover.

Screening provides an initial expedite detection test for substances of abuse. While it is an economical method to exclude drug use for most samples, a positive screening needs confirmation to be legally acceptable. Any samples testing presumptively positive in Screening must undergo secondary confirmation.

Should a sample test presumptive positive in Screening, additional hair is collected from the main specimen and prepped for Extraction. In Extraction, drugs are isolated from hair at a much lower concentration than in other procedures (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most intricate testing approach.

Any positive screen result goes through Confirmation via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, all presumptive positive samples are cleaned as necessary. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation adheres to 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 reveal drug use for up to 90 days, while urine testing offers a shorter detection period.
• Hard to manipulate: It is quite challenging to falsify a hair drug test, thus ensuring more accurate outcomes.
• Historical consumption data: It can reveal a pattern of drug use over time, not merely recent intake.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent consumption: Drugs require approximately 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair testing typically incurs greater costs than other methods of drug testing.
• Result variability: Aspects like hair color and personal differences in hair growth may impact the concentration of drug residues found in the hair.

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

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Sadorus, IL
Hair testing prevails over traditional urine tests by offering extended detection windows and heightened accuracy. With less susceptibility to recent consumption manipulations, it's a robust alternative.

The advanced detection capabilities of hair follicle tests prove advantageous over urine tests, particularly with their longer detection timeframe and higher precision in results.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Sadorus, IL
Hair follicle testing extends drug detection up to 90 days, allowing employers a thorough view of an individual's substance habits. This extended window provides insights into consistent patterns of use.

Employers benefit from the capability to detect past drug use over several months, affording a broader understanding of an employee's or candidate's history than shorter-term methods.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Sadorus, IL
Hair follicle tests mitigate the risk of sample tampering, delivering credible and unquestioned outcomes. The method's inherent stability guards against adulteration and falsifying attempts.

With observed collection processes, hair testing's resistance to tampering offers reliable results. This level of security ensures sample authenticity and trustworthiness of the outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Sadorus, IL
With a network of testing centers, access to hair testing is easy and straightforward nationwide, ensuring convenience for everyone.

Customers benefit from the expansive reach of our testing facilities, allowing rapid service and minimizing disruption due to the required scheduling of tests.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Sadorus, IL
The process from ordering to receiving hair test results is straightforward and private, catering to user ease and confidentiality concerns.

Priority is given to a seamless experience, ensuring that privacy is maintained throughout testing. This approach addresses concerns over discretion while preserving effectiveness.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Sadorus, IL
Competitive pricing and quick test result turnaround makes hair testing an attractive choice for businesses of varied sizes keen on maintaining drug-free workplaces affordably.

By offering cost-effective plans alongside swift outcome delivery, hair testing provides excellent value, ensuring peace of mind and budgetary alignment.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Sadorus, IL
Hair follicle drug testing offers precise and swift results, ensuring high accuracy in detecting substance use. This method efficiently identifies drug traces, giving you dependable information.

The speed and precision of hair testing reduce waiting times for results. By revealing substance use accurately, such tests offer clear benefits for those needing trustworthy insights.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Sadorus, IL
Utilizing hair follicle tests assists employers in maintaining drug-free workplace policies and minimizing legal liabilities. It also strengthens workplace safety protocols.

Hair testing helps ensure adherence to compliance guidelines, promoting organizational safety by aligning with drug-free initiatives and reducing employment of substance abusers.

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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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