Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Perryville, LA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has garnered recognition as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair encapsulates a prolonged history of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. When sampled near the scalp, hair can reveal up to a three-month timeframe for alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, moderately hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment from around 200 strands of hair (similar in diameter to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will produce 100mg of hair, which is the preferred sample size for testing and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or more than 10 panels, 150mg of the hair specimen is suggested. Using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen is advisable. If scalp hair is not accessible, an equivalent volume of body hair might be used. When discussing head hair, it pertains only to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test outcome comprises four essential stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning marks the initial phase where a sample is integrated into a lab’s database. This step includes ensuring the sample was properly sealed and delivered, assigning it a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any extra data input absent in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary rapid check for substance abuse. Though Screening is a budget-friendly approach to eliminate drug usage in most samples, a positive result necessitates confirmation for legal acceptance. Any samples that test presumptively positive in Screening undergo further confirmation.

Should a sample be presumptively positive at the Screening phase, more hair from the original sample is taken out and readied for Extraction. At this juncture, drugs are derived from hair at a significantly lower concentration than other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting why hair drug screening is the most challenging methodology.

Confirming any positive Screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples that test presumptively positive are cleaned prior to confirmation if necessary. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and in accordance with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can indicate drug usage up to 90 days, differing from urine tests with shorter detection periods.
• Cheating difficulty: Cheating on a hair drug test is considerably challenging, enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical insight: It offers insights into drug usage patterns over time rather than solely recent use.

Limitations:

• Limited recent use detection: It requires about 5-7 days for drugs to become discernible in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests tend to be costlier compared to other drug testing approaches.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth variations can influence drug metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Despite often being termed as "hair follicle tests", the test itself examines the hair strand, not the scalp-embedded hair follicle.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Perryville, LA, hair follicle testing stands out due to its superior detection accuracy over traditional urine tests. Employers and professionals benefit from its reliability, reducing the chance of false negatives often seen with urine tests.

Compared to urine tests, hair tests have a longer detection window, making them better at identifying long-term substance use and offering peace of mind to employers.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Perryville, LA offers an extended detection window, tracing drug use up to 90 days past. This gives employers a thorough understanding of an individual's substance history.

Unlike shorter-term urine tests, these tests provide valuable insight into an employee's or applicant's long-term habits, fostering a more informed decision-making process.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

One of the major advantages of hair follicle tests in Perryville, LA is their tamper-resistant nature. Sample adulteration is significantly reduced, ensuring the integrity and reliability of results.

This method guarantees unquestionable results, vital for maintaining trust and accountability in workplace and legal settings, thanks to its resistance to common cheating tactics.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our numerous testing centers make drug testing convenient across Perryville, LA, and Nationwide. Access to testing services is quick and hassle-free.

Whether local or across the country, our network of nationwide locations ensures timely access for all your testing needs, ensuring efficiency and ease in the testing process.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our process in Perryville, LA is designed to be simple yet confidential. Ordering, taking, and receiving test results are streamlined, addressing privacy concerns effectively.

Confidence in confidentiality means that individuals and employers can focus on obtaining results without the stress of complex procedures, guaranteeing ease and discretion throughout.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Competitive pricing in Perryville, LA ensures that companies of all sizes enjoy affordable testing solutions. Our fast turnaround times mean businesses can promptly access crucial data.

Our commitment to providing excellent value supports companies large and small, ensuring they can maintain safe, compliant environments efficiently.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Perryville, LA, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their exceptional speed and accuracy in detecting substance use. Their precision is unmatched, ensuring reliable results every time.

With swift processing times, individuals and employers can quickly obtain accurate information necessary for making informed decisions, enhancing the efficiency of employment and legal screenings.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Perryville, LA can achieve compliance with workplace drug-free policies through hair follicle testing. This method reduces legal risks and enhances workplace safety.

By ensuring a comprehensive drug-free environment, businesses not only meet regulatory standards but also bolster peace of mind, protecting both their employees and their operations.

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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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