Hair Follicle Drug Testing - South Laurel, MD

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is recognized as a significant method for spotting drug and alcohol usage. It captures biomarkers in the fibers of a growing hair strand, offering a long-term insight into substance use. Near-scalp hair samples can yield a detection period of approximately 3 months for both alcohol and other drugs. The collection process for hair is straightforward, moderately resistant to tampering, and easily shipped.

A 1.5-inch segment of near-scalp hair, involving around 200 strands (approximately the size of a #2 pencil), provides 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional panels, or tests of more than 10 panels, 150mg of hair is suggested. It's advisable to weigh the sample with a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, a comparable quantity of body hair may be retrieved. When we mention head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair only. Body hair encompasses all other hair types including facial and axillary hair.

Process Overview

The drug test result processing in a lab comprises four pivotal stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

In Accessioning, the sample gets its initial setup in the lab’s system. This phase ensures the sample’s seal and shipment correctness, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any outstanding data entry absent in the electronic chain of custody system.

The Screening phase provides a swift assessment for abuse drugs. While it's economically feasible for most samples to rule out drug use, a positive result in Screening necessitates further confirmation for legal admissibility. All samples testing positive presumptively during Screening require additional confirmation.

Should a sample test positive during Screening, additional hair from the initial sample is prepared for Extraction. This phase extracts drugs from hair at a concentration lower than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening one of the most challenging methodologies.

Confirmation of any positive result from Screening uses GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All positive presumptive samples undergo washing as needed before confirmation. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is conducted under the oversight of CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can reveal drug usage for up to 90 days, while urine tests have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Challenging to manipulate: Cheating in a hair drug test is exceptionally difficult, enhancing result accuracy.
• Offers historical use data: It reflects a pattern of drug usage across time, rather than just recent use.

Limitations:

• Limited to non-recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair roughly 5-7 days after use.
• Expensive: Hair drug tests usually incur higher costs than alternate drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Variables like hair color and individual discrepancies in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites within hair.

Note: Although sometimes termed as "hair follicle tests," the analysis targets the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing surpasses urine tests in South Laurel, MD, due to its superior detection accuracy and reliability. Compared to traditional methods, it offers a comprehensive view by detecting past substance use, aligning with stringent policies.

Extended Detection Window

Employers in South Laurel, MD, benefit from hair follicle testing with its extended detection window of up to 90 days. This provides a thorough insight into an individual’s drug use history, aiding in informed decisions on applicants and employees.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In South Laurel, MD, hair follicle testing minimizes sample tampering risks, assuring trustworthy results. Its methodology ensures the integrity and reliability of the findings, crucial for maintaining credibility in testing.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accessible testing locations span nationwide and locally in South Laurel, MD. This convenience means quick and easy service access, offering hassle-free testing experiences with Accredited Drug Testing facilities.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle test procedure in South Laurel, MD, is straightforward and confidential. Customers can expect a seamless process when ordering, taking tests, and receiving results, all while ensuring privacy and user-friendliness.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

South Laurel, MD, enjoys competitive pricing and swift turnaround times for hair follicle tests. Businesses of all sizes appreciate the unmatched value and assurance, knowing they receive efficient and cost-effective services.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In South Laurel, MD, hair follicle drug tests are celebrated for their swift and precise results. They excel in identifying substance use, ensuring a high level of accuracy. The process is engineered to deliver timely outcomes, invaluable for decision-making.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in South Laurel, MD, hair follicle testing is essential for compliance with drug-free workplace policies. It minimizes legal risks and enhances safety, ensuring a sense of security and peace of mind for employers.

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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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