Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Slater, IA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures biomarkers within the fibers of the developing strand, offering an extensive record of substance use. When gathered near the scalp, hair can reveal up to a 3-month detection timeframe for drug and alcohol use. Collecting hair is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and simple to send.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches with about 200 hair strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields 100mg, which is the preferred sample size for screening and confirmation. For EtG, enhancements, and/or tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equal quantity of body hair can be collected. References to head hair pertain to scalp hair only, and body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The primary stages in the processing of drug test outcomes in a laboratory are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning starts with the initial input of a sample into a lab’s database, ensuring the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any data entry omitted by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening offers a preliminary assessment for potential drug use. While Screening is economically efficient for dismissing drug use in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be valid in court. Any samples that are deemed preliminarily positive in Screening necessitate follow-up confirmation.

Should a sample be found presumptively positive at the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and readied for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations than through other techniques (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the toughest methodology to execute.

To confirm any positive screening outcome, methods like GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS are utilized. Prior to confirmation, all presumptively positive samples are washed, as required. The laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection window: Hair drug tests can detect drug use for up to 90 days, compared to urine tests with shorter detection periods.
• Difficulty to cheat: Cheating a hair drug test is extremely challenging, which enhances result accuracy.
• Provides historical data: This method tracks a pattern of drug use over a period, not just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent use: Drugs typically become detectable in hair within 5-7 days.
• Cost: Generally, hair drug tests are costlier than other testing methods.
• Variations in results: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth variations can influence drug metabolite concentrations.

Note: Referred to as "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why does hair follicle testing surpass traditional urine tests in Slater, IA? With superior detection timeframes and reliability, hair testing offers advantages over conventional urine screenings.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Slater, IA provides an extended detection window of up to 90 days. This prolonged timeframe allows employers to gain a thorough understanding of an individual's substance use history.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Slater, IA, hair follicle tests provide a tamper-resistant method for drug screening. By minimizing the risk of sample adulteration, these tests guarantee reliable outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient nationwide and local testing locations in Slater, IA, accessing hair follicle drug testing services is quick and easy, eliminating the stress of the testing process.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Slater, IA, the hair follicle testing process is simple and confidential. Ordering, conducting, and receiving results is straightforward, ensuring privacy and ease of use.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing offers affordable pricing and quick turnaround times in Slater, IA. We deliver great value and peace of mind for businesses of any size.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Slater, IA offer fast, precise, and reliable outcomes. The tests are highly accurate in detecting drug use, offering peace of mind for those requiring testing.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Implementing hair follicle testing in Slater, IA facilitates compliance with workplace drug-free policies. This ensures legal protection and promotes a safe working environment.

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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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