Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Spillertown, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol use. Hair offers an extensive timeline of substance usage by preserving biomarkers in the strands as they grow. When hair is sampled near the scalp, it can reveal consumption of alcohol and drugs over a period of up to around 90 days. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and convenient for shipping.

To conduct testing, a 1.5-inch sample comprising roughly 200 hairs (equivalent to the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp can supply 100mg, the ideal quantity for both screening and verification. For EtG analysis, additional tests, or those beyond 10 panels, 150mg of hair is suggested. It's advisable to measure the sample using a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. The term 'head hair' specifically refers to scalp hair, while 'body hair' encompasses all other types (e.g., facial, axillary).

Process Overview

The processing of a drug test result in a lab consists of four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the preliminary phase of integrating a sample into a laboratory's system. This step involves ensuring the sample is properly sealed and shipped, generating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data input absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails an initial rapid assessment for substances of abuse. Although Screening offers a cost-efficient means to exclude drug use for most samples, a positive result requires confirmation for legal validity. Any samples with presumptive positive results in Screening necessitate additional confirmation.

In cases where Screening yields a presumptive positive, further hair is taken from the initial sample to prepare for Extraction. At this stage, drugs are isolated from hair at considerably lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting why hair drug screening is notably challenging to execute.

Confirmation of a positive screening result is performed utilizing GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. All samples with presumptive positive results are washed before confirmation as necessary. The full procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is audited under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can find drug usage up to 90 days back, whereas urine tests provide a shorter timeframe.
• Resistant to cheating: Cheating on a hair drug test is highly challenging, ensuring more reliable results.
• Historical insight: It can offer a pattern of drug use over time, rather than just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Drugs require about 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are often pricier than other testing methods.
• Potential variability: Factors like hair color and individual growth differences can impact drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Although often dubbed "hair follicle tests," the actual analysis occurs on the hair strand, not the follicle under the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing is Superior to Urine Testing in Spillertown, IL. Hair testing provides enhanced detection accuracy over traditional urine tests. While urine tests offer a snapshot, hair tests give a comprehensive history of substance use, making them invaluable for employers in making informed choices.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window offered by hair follicle testing in Spillertown, IL, spans up to 90 days, providing a detailed look at an individual's substance use over time. This capability is especially valued by employers for gaining insights into an employee's or applicant's long-term habits.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Spillertown, IL, hair follicle testing delivers a tamper-resistant solution that mitigates the risk of sample adulteration. This testing method ensures reliable and unquestionable results, offering an extra layer of security for those needing trustworthy outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing ensures convenient access to services with nationwide and local testing centers, including Spillertown, IL. Our facilities offer quick and easy access for those needing testing, minimizing disruption through our hassle-free services.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process of hair follicle testing in Spillertown, IL is simple and confidential. Ordering, testing, and receiving results is carried out with an emphasis on privacy and ease of use, addressing concerns for both personal and professional settings.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

We offer affordable pricing and fast turnaround times for hair follicle testing in Spillertown, IL. Our competitive rates and quick results deliver both value and peace of mind for businesses, regardless of their size.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Spillertown, IL, hair follicle drug tests provide fast, accurate, and reliable results. These tests are celebrated for their ability to detect a wide range of substances efficiently. The process is streamlined for rapid turnaround, ensuring you receive timely feedback on substance use, crucial for effective decision-making.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

By adopting hair follicle testing, employers in Spillertown, IL, can achieve compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This strategy reduces both legal risks and workplace incidents, promoting a safer and more productive environment for everyone involved.

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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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