Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Niles, KS

What it is, How it works

The perception of hair testing has shifted to being a robust method in identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures biomarkers within its fibers as it grows, offering an extended timeline of around three months when sampled near the scalp. This method is straightforward to collect, hard to tamper with, and uncomplicated to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of around 200 strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) next to the scalp, yields a 100mg amount, which is optimal for both screening and confirmation. For tests concerning EtG, additional analyses, or those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg is advised. Using a jeweler's scale for measurement is suggested. Should scalp hair be absent, a comparable quantity of body hair is acceptable. References to head hair exclusively mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types, such as facial and axillary hair.

Process Overview

In laboratory processing of drug test results, the primary steps include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial integration of a sample into a lab's system, ensuring proper sealing and shipping, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening offers an initial, efficient examination for substances. While it’s cost-efficient for excluding drug usage in most cases, any positive result demands confirmation for legal admissibility, necessitating secondary confirmation for suspect samples.

Presumptive positive results from Screening lead to additional hair extraction from the specimen for analysis. Drugs are extracted at lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting the complexity of hair drug screening.

Confirmation for positive screenings is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Samples identified as presumptive positives are cleansed before confirmation when necessary. The overall process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair accreditation and ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair tests identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests that have narrower detection timelines.
• Hard to falsify: Tampering with hair drug tests is challenging, ensuring more reliable results.
• Chronological usage data: It illustrates a timeline of drug use, rather than just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: It requires roughly 5-7 days before drugs are traceable in hair.
• Higher expense: Hair testing generally incurs greater costs compared to other testing methods.
• Result variations: Elements like hair color and individual growth variability can influence metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Despite the common term "hair follicle tests," the actual analysis is performed on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Niles, KS
The comprehensive detection abilities of hair tests highlight their superiority over traditional urine tests. Hair testing is favored for its extensive detection period, accuracy, and reliability, ensuring detection integrity that urine tests may not always provide.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Niles, KS

• Hair tests analyze drug use up to 90 days in the past.
• Provides employers with a thorough overview of substance history.
• Helps assess long-term behavior of applicants and employees.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Niles, KS

• Minimizes sample adulteration risks.
• Provides results that are reliable and indisputable.
• Ensures integrity and trust in testing processes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Niles, KS
Benefit from our extensive network of testing centers nationally, providing quick and hassle-free access to necessary testing services, with significant coverage across Niles, KS.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Niles, KS
Experience an easy and private procedure for test ordering, administration, and result retrieval, ensuring confidentiality and simplifying the process for all users.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Niles, KS
Offering competitive prices with rapid processing times, our services deliver exceptional value and peace of mind to businesses of all scales by ensuring efficiency and affordability.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Niles, KS
The precision of hair follicle testing ensures rapid and reliable results. These tests offer unmatched accuracy when detecting substance use, thereby providing confidence in the results. Processing hair samples typically delivers results swiftly while maintaining excellence in detection.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Niles, KS

• Ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies.
• Mitigates legal risks.
• Promotes a safer work 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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