Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Kenton, KY

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as an effective method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a long-term history of substances by encapsulating biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair shaft. When collected near the scalp, hair offers up to a three-month detection span for alcohol and other drugs. Hair specimen collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and easy to transport.

Collecting a 1.5-inch sample of approximately 200 strands of hair (similar in size to a #2 pencil) near the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the optimal sample size for analysis and corroboration. For EtG, additional testing, and tests beyond 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advisable. We suggest measuring the specimen on a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be lacking, an equivalent amount of body hair can be gathered. In referencing head hair, only scalp hair is implied. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The process of lab analysis of a drug test result involves four main stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes the initial incorporation of a sample into a lab’s system. This stage ensures that the sample was securely sealed and properly dispatched, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any extra data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening serves as an initial rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. While cost-effective for eliminating drug usage in most samples, a positive screen requires confirmation to be valid in legal proceedings. Any samples with a presumptive positive in Screening necessitate a secondary confirmation.

Should a sample yield a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen and prepared for an Extraction phase. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations than other methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), underscoring the complexity of performing hair drug screening.

Confirmation of any positive screen is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples marked as presumptively positive undergo a wash before confirmation, as needed. The entire laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Hair designation and certified to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter detection period.
• Difficult to manipulate: Cheating on a hair drug test is quite challenging, thereby enhancing result accuracy.
• Historic data provision: Offers an overview of drug use patterns over time, not merely recent use.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent use: It takes approximately 5-7 days for drugs to become discernible in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically more costly than other methods of drug testing.
• Result variations: Aspects such as hair color and individual hair growth patterns can affect drug metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Although commonly referred to as "hair follicle tests", the test analyzes the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Kenton, KY stands out against traditional urine tests for several reasons. Its unmatched detection precision provides a broader overview of substance use, making it highly dependable. As it analyzes hair samples, it overcomes many limitations of urine tests, which are prone to manipulation and only capture recent drug use.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle tests in Kenton, KY offer a significantly extended detection window, capturing drug use history extending up to 90 days. This exhaustive time frame grants employers deeper insight into an individual's substance habits. Consequently, informed hiring decisions can be made with greater assurance, contributing to a safer work environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Kenton, KY takes pride in its tamper-resistant hair follicle testing, which markedly minimizes sample adulteration risks. With hair samples being impervious to common manipulative tactics, the integrity of the test results remain intact, yielding proof that is both reliable and unassailable.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With a robust network of nationwide testing facilities, including those in Kenton, KY, Accredited Drug Testing ensures accessibility and convenience for all. Clients benefit from seamless access to top-tier testing services, minimizing hassle and delay, while keeping testing procedures quick and straightforward.

Simple, Confidential Process

Kenton, KY offers a streamlined and confidential process for arranging, undertaking, and receiving hair follicle test results. We prioritize client privacy and ease, ensuring a worry-free experience by maintaining stringent confidentiality throughout the testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Kenton, KY, we provide competitively priced hair follicle tests coupled with rapid result delivery. This approach offers excellent value for businesses of any size, ensuring peace of mind while being budget-conscious without sacrificing quality or speed.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Kenton, KY, hair follicle drug testing is recognized for delivering fast, accurate, and dependable outcomes. This method excels in pinpointing substance use due to its precise detection capabilities. The reliability of hair tests ensures that both employers and individuals can have confidence in the results, making it an ideal choice for those seeking precise drug testing.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Kenton, KY benefit greatly from hair follicle testing by ensuring adherence to drug-free workplace standards. This process significantly reduces legal liabilities and bolsters workplace safety, giving business owners a sense of security. The reliability of hair tests aids in maintaining company policies efficiently.

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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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