Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Heritage Lake, IN

What it is, How it works

The utilization of hair testing has become recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a historical record of substance usage over a long term by encapsulating markers within the strands of hair as they grow. When gathered from the scalp, it can reflect drug and alcohol use over a span of roughly 3 months. Hair samples are easy to obtain, tough to tamper with, and simple to transport.

Collecting a sample of 1.5 inches consisting of roughly 200 strands (comparable to the thickness of a #2 pencil), from the area nearest the scalp, yields 100mg of hair—a perfect amount for screening and confirmatory purposes. For EtG, supplemental testing, and/or panels exceeding 10, a recommendation of 150mg is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale for weighing is suggested. In the absence of scalp hair, a corresponding amount of body hair can be taken. Head hair specifically refers to scalp hair, while body hair denotes any other hair variety (e.g., facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory handling of drug test specimens consists of four major stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes the initial entry of a specimen into a laboratory’s workflow. This encompasses ensuring the specimen’s proper sealing and shipping, assigning it a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any remaining data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary evaluation for substances of abuse. This economically viable approach can dismiss drug presence in most samples, but any positive findings must be confirmed before being accepted in legal proceedings. Presumptive positives in Screening necessitate further confirmation.

For samples testing positive at the Screening phase, additional hair is selected from the original sample for the Extraction phase. During Extraction, substances are removed from hair at significantly lower concentrations than with other methods (e.g., urine, oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging procedure to conduct.

The verification of positive screening outcomes is carried out using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, samples with presumptive positives undergo washing as necessary. The entire laboratory methodology, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is assessed under CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and adherence to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests recognize drug consumption over a stretch of up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with shorter periods.
• Difficult to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is highly challenging, ensuring more reliable outcomes.
• Offers historical insight: It captures a timeline of drug consumption instead of merely recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inapt for recent use: Drugs require 5-7 days to manifest in hair post-usage.
• Expense: Hair drug testing costs generally surpass other testing methodologies.
• Result disparities: Aspects like hair pigmentation and individual growth rates can impact drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Commonly termed “hair follicle tests,” the analysis actually inspects the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing outshines traditional urine tests in terms of accuracy and reliability in Heritage Lake, IN. This method provides a superior detection ability that many employers and legal bodies prefer for a more precise assessment.

Extended Detection Window

In Heritage Lake, IN, hair follicle testing is known for detecting drug use up to 90 days, presenting a long-term overview of an individual's substance history, beneficial for employers making informed decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Heritage Lake, IN, sees hair follicle testing as a tamper-resistant method. It minimizes risks of sample tampering, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of the results obtained from this process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient testing is available in Heritage Lake, IN through our nationwide centers, providing easy and efficient access to drug testing services, ensuring a hassle-free experience for individuals and organizations.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process in Heritage Lake, IN for hair follicle testing is simple and private. From ordering to receiving results, the focus is on maintaining confidentiality and ease of process for the user.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Heritage Lake, IN, hair follicle testing is both affordable and quick. The competitive pricing and swift turnaround times ensure excellent value for businesses, no matter the size.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle tests in Heritage Lake, IN, offer precise, speedy, and reliable drug detection. These tests have a high accuracy rate, making them ideal for identifying substance use, reflecting the utmost precision in results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Heritage Lake, IN, gain peace of mind with hair follicle testing. It aligns with drug-free workplace policies, enhancing safety and minimizing legal troubles associated with substance use.

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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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