Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Collinston, LA

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as a significant method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains biomarkers within its strands, providing a lengthy timeline of substance use. When sampled near the scalp, hair can offer up to a 3-month duration of detection for drugs and alcohol. Hair specimens are easy to collect, resistant to tampering, and convenient to ship.

A 1.5-inch portion of roughly 200 hair strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil) taken nearest the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the perfect amount for both screening and confirmation tests. For EtG, additional screenings, and/or comprehensive tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg is suggested. It's advisable to measure the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unobtainable, a comparable quantity of body hair may be used. The term head hair refers only to scalp hair, while body hair encompasses all other types (e.g., facial, axillary).

Process Summary

The key stages in the drug test result processing within a laboratory are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes the early stages of entering a sample into a lab’s system, ensuring the sample was properly sealed and delivered, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and filling in any further data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening serves as an initial rapid check for substance abuse. Although effective for ruling out drug presence in most samples, a positive screening result requires confirmation for legal admissibility. Any samples testing presumptively positive during Screening necessitate a follow-up confirmation.

For samples identified as presumptively positive during Screening, more hair is sourced from the original sample and readied for Extraction. Here, substances are retrieved from hair at much reduced concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting the inherent difficulty of conducting hair drug testing.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples presumed positive receive a wash prior to confirmation if necessary. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the entire lab procedure is inspected under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Benefits of hair drug tests:

• Extended detection period: Hair tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, as opposed to urine tests which have shorter detection spans.
• Resistance to evasion: It is notably hard to deceive a hair drug test, enhancing result reliability.
• Offers usage history: It can reveal a pattern of substance use over an extended duration, not solely recent consumption.

Disadvantages:

• Inability to detect recent use: It takes roughly 5-7 days for substances to register in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically incur higher costs than alternative drug testing approaches.
• Result variability: Aspects like hair color and personal hair growth differences can influence the drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Although often termed "hair follicle tests", the evaluation actually examines the hair strand, not the underlying hair follicle.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Collinston, LA lies in its superior accuracy and reliability. While urine tests serve immediate needs, hair tests uncover longer histories.

• Longer detection window.
• Harder to tamper with.
• Broader substance detection capacity.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Collinston, LA is a distinct advantage of hair follicle testing. Unlike urine tests, it tracks drug use over a 90-day period.

• Offers a comprehensive view of substance history.
• Beneficial for employers assessing long-term behaviors.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Collinston, LA provides reliable results by significantly diminishing adulteration risks. This is why many choose hair tests.

• Safe from typical alteration methods.
• Observed collection process minimizes risk.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Collinston, LA offer a seamless testing experience. Accessible centers across the country simplify testing logistics.

• Hassle-free access to services.
• Expedited procedures save time.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Collinston, LA ensures ease and privacy from ordering to results receipt, mitigating privacy concerns.

• Non-intrusive sampling method.
• Guaranteed confidentiality of results.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Collinston, LA underline our commitment to competitive pricing and swift results, enhancing service value.

• Budget-friendly without quality compromise.
• Quick results delivery.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Collinston, LA highlight the precision and speed of hair follicle drug tests. These tests stand out for their high accuracy in identifying substance use.

• Quick detection ensures minimal delays.
• Reliability fortifies trust in results.
• Reduces false positives and negatives.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Collinston, LA are bolstered with hair follicle testing. Ensures adherence to drug-free policies.

• Minimizes legal risks.
• Enhances overall workplace safety and compliance.

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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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