Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Leawood, KS

What it is, How it works

Recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption, hair testing captures markers in the strands' fibers, recording a lasting history of substance use. When sampled from near the scalp, hair can reveal drug and alcohol intake over up to three months. The collection process is straightforward, not easily tampered with, and facilitates shipping.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches of nearly 200 hairs, akin to the size of a #2 pencil, yields the optimal 100mg for both screening and verification. For EtG and tests beyond 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advisable. It's suggested to use a jeweler's scale to weigh the sample. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent quantity of body hair may be used. "Head hair" implies scalp hair solely, whereas "body hair" encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning refers to the primary processing of a sample within a laboratory's framework. This step verifies the correct sealing and dispatch of the sample, generates a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and handles supplementary data entry omitted in digital custody systems.

Screening entails a preliminary, swift assessment for drug presence. Although Screening efficiently excludes drug use in most samples, a positive outcome requires confirmation for legal validity. Any samples deemed presumptively positive in Screening necessitate a confirmatory step.

Following a Screening indication of presumptive positivity, further hair is extracted from the initial sample for Extraction. This stage involves obtaining drugs from hair at a lower concentration compared to alternatives (urine or oral fluid), posing a challenge unique to hair drug assessments.

Confirmation of positive Screening results is performed with GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo needed washing before Confirmation. The comprehensive lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair Label and ISO/IEC 17025 standards accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair analyses can uncover drug use up to 90 days prior, surpassing the shorter detection timeframe of urine tests.
• Resistance to manipulation: The chances of cheating a hair drug test are minimal, enhancing accuracy.
• Supplies usage patterns: It reflects drug consumption trends over time, not just recent intake.

Limitations:

• Inability to spot recent consumption: Drugs become traceable in hair after approximately 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug analyses generally incur higher costs compared to other testing approaches.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and individual growth rate can influence metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the focus is on analyzing the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing hair follicle tests to urine analyses in Leawood, KS, the superior detection accuracy of the former becomes evident. Hair testing offers an extended detection period and avoids common tampering issues seen with urine samples. Employers gain reliable insight, ensuring policy adherence and workforce integrity.

Extended Detection Window

Employers in Leawood, KS, benefit from the hair follicle test's extended detection window—up to 90 days. This provides a comprehensive view of an employee's or applicant's substance use history, ensuring informed decision-making and safeguarding workplace standards.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Leawood, KS, hair follicle testing stands out for its tamper-resistant nature. The method minimizes the risk of adulteration, offering trustworthy results. This reliability is crucial for institutions, enhancing the credibility and integrity of drug testing programs.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing offers convenient testing locations nationwide, including local options in Leawood, KS. This accessibility ensures quick and hassle-free testing, supporting individuals and businesses with timely and efficient service wherever they are.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Leawood, KS, the process for hair follicle testing is simple and confidential. From ordering to result retrieval, every step prioritizes privacy and ease of use, ensuring clients feel secure and comfortable throughout the testing journey.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

With competitive pricing and short turnaround times, our hair follicle testing in Leawood, KS, offers excellent value. Businesses of all sizes benefit from our affordable solutions, ensuring timely results without compromising on quality and reliability.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Leawood, KS, hair follicle drug tests offer unparalleled precision and speed. Their high accuracy level ensures that substance use is easily detectable. The process captures a wide range of substances, providing fast, accurate, and reliable results, crucial for employers and institutions monitoring drug use effectively.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Using hair follicle testing in Leawood, KS, ensures employer compliance with zero-tolerance policies. By reducing legal risks and promoting a drug-free workplace environment, employers can maintain safety and peace of mind, critical for 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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