Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Blue Rapids, KS

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is recognized as an effective method to detect drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a long-term record of alcohol and drug use by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair strand. When hair is collected near the scalp, it can offer a detection timeframe of roughly up to 3 months for detecting alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, reasonably challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch sample comprising about 200 strands of hair (approximately the width of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample amount for screening and verification. For EtG, additional analyses, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample of the specimen is suggested. It is advisable to use a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen. If scalp hair isn't available, you may collect an equivalent amount of body hair. The term head hair refers solely to scalp hair. Body hair includes all other hair types (such as facial, axillary).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result entails four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning encompasses the initial introduction of a sample within a laboratory's system. It involves ensuring the sample was sealed and shipped correctly, generating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any extra data input not facilitated by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary inspection for illegal substances. Although Screening is cost-efficient for negating drug usage in most samples, any positive result needs subsequent confirmation to be valid in legal proceedings. All samples that test as presumptively positive in Screening must undergo a secondary verification.

Should a sample show presumptive positivity in the Screening phase, additional hair is selected from the primary specimen and readied for Extraction. Here, drugs are retrieved from hair at notably lower concentrations compared to other methods (for example, urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most intricate method to carry out.

Confirmation for any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Samples that are presumptively positive undergo washing before confirmation as necessary. The complete laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can determine drug use for up to 90 days, while urine tests exhibit a more limited detection period.
• Challenging to falsify: Cheating on a hair drug test is very difficult, thereby enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical data provision: The test reveals a drug use pattern over a duration, and not just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to identify recent use: It takes roughly 5-7 days for drugs to be traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically more costly than other drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and personal variations in hair growth can influence drug metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Despite often being dubbed "hair follicle tests", the examination itself analyzes the hair strand rather than the hair follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Blue Rapids, KS
When contrasting hair analysis with traditional urine tests, the former stands out because of its higher detection accuracy and overall reliability. Offering an enhanced assessment period, hair testing can reveal drug use that a urine test may miss, providing superior insight.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Blue Rapids, KS
For employers, understanding an individual's long-term substance history is crucial. Hair follicle testing serves this need by covering up to a 90-day detection window, providing a thorough examination of an applicant or employee's drug use behavior over time.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Blue Rapids, KS
Hair follicle tests are highly valued for their resistance to tampering. Unlike other methods where samples could potentially be adulterated, hair testing ensures the integrity of the results due to its robustness and minimal possibility of sample manipulation.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Blue Rapids, KS
With testing facilities spread across the nation, accessing our services is easy and hassle-free. Whether you are in a metropolis or a smaller city like Blue Rapids, reaching our centers is straightforward and efficient.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Blue Rapids, KS
Understanding the sensitive nature of drug testing, our process prioritizes confidentiality and ease. Ordering, taking the test, and receiving results are streamlined for simplicity, ensuring your privacy is respected throughout.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Blue Rapids, KS
Competitive pricing paired with swift processing times characterizes our services, providing businesses with excellent value. Our cost-effective solutions are tailored for companies of every size, ensuring quick and satisfactory results.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Blue Rapids, KS
Hair follicle drug testing is acclaimed for its precision in identifying substance use, delivering swift and reliable outcomes. This robust testing method ensures accurate determination of any drug or alcohol consumption, offering peace of mind with its rapid processing and high precision.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Blue Rapids, KS
Adopting hair follicle drug tests helps employers maintain compliance with drug-free workplace mandates. Such measures reduce legal risks and foster a safer working environment, enhancing both trust and organizational efficiency.

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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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