Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Raeville, NE

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as an effective means for identifying alcohol and drug consumption. Hair retains a long-term record of substance usage by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the hair shaft as it grows. When gathered near the scalp, hair can reveal drug and alcohol use within an approximate three-month timeframe. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

The optimal sample for testing and confirmation requires collecting a 1.5-inch portion of roughly 200 hair strands near the scalp, equating to 100mg of hair. For EtG, additional testing, and/or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg specimen is suggested. It is advisable to determine the specimen’s weight using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, a comparable amount of body hair can be collected. In terms of head hair, this specifically means scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types, such as facial or axillary hair.

Process Overview

There are four principal stages in processing a drug test result in the lab: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the first step wherein a sample is incorporated into a lab’s system. This step ensures the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigns it a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any outstanding data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides an initial assessment for drug presence. Although this method is cost-efficient for ruling out drug use in most samples, a positive screen necessitates confirmation for legal admissibility. Presumptive positives in Screening mandate secondary confirmation.

Should a sample be presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the initial collection for Extraction. At this stage, drugs are extracted from hair at lower concentrations than those in other methods such as urine or oral fluid, marking hair drug screening as the most complex method to execute.

Confirmation for any positive screening outcomes is carried out using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Samples testing presumptive positive are cleaned before confirmation if required. The entire lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is supervised under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Prolonged detection: Hair drug tests have a detection span of up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter period.
• Challenging to falsify: Cheating a hair drug test is extremely difficult, yielding more accurate results.
• Provides historical insight: It offers a timeline of drug consumption over time, rather than just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect very recent use: Drugs can take about 5-7 days to become traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing is typically more costly than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Hair color and individual differences in hair growth may impact the concentration of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Although often termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Testing Triumphs

Hair follicle testing stands superior to urine tests in terms of detection scope and accuracy. In Raeville, NE, this method provides a clearer window into an individual's substance use, offering employers robust screening solutions.

Unmatched Detection Capabilities

Compared to urine tests, hair tests in Raeville leave little room for doubt, covering a broader range of substances with greater reliability. Opting for hair tests ensures an employer's peace of mind and security.

Extended Detection Window

An Extensive Detection Window

Hair follicle tests in Raeville, NE, are designed to observe up to a 90-day substance use history, offering employers a longer insight period compared to typical methods.

Comprehensive Substance History

Employers gain vital information on an individual's substance history, making hair follicle testing a pivotal technique for deeper insights into potential employees or current staff.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Reducing Tampering Risks

Raeville, NE employers can trust hair follicle tests for their ability to curtail tampering threats, solidifying their integrity as one of the most reliable testing methods available.

Unquestionable Outcomes

These tests provide unequivocal results, bringing reliability to testing by ensuring that samples remain untampered, offering businesses true assessments of substance use among employees.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accessible Testing Centers

With numerous testing locations nationwide, including those in Raeville, NE, employees and employers alike can access efficient and straightforward testing services.

Convenience Across the Board

The availability of local testing centers ensures that testing is never a burden, offering quick and convenient solutions to testing needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simplified Process

In Raeville, NE, the process of ordering, taking, and obtaining results from hair testing is streamlined, emphasizing ease of use and confidentiality.

Secure Steps Ensured

Our straightforward approach guarantees privacy and simplicity, assuring individuals that their information is handled with care at every stage.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Competitive Pricing

Employers in Raeville, NE enjoy competitive pricing on hair follicle testing, ensuring cost-effective solutions without sacrificing quality or accuracy.

Swift Turnarounds

Quick turnaround times enhance value for businesses of all sizes, helping them maintain operational efficiency while receiving reliable data.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Accelerated Results for Employers

Employers in Raeville, NE, benefit from the expedited precision of hair follicle drug tests. These tests afford quick detection with an assurance of accurate assessment, enabling better workforce management.

Reliability Every Time

The reliability of hair tests ensures employers have steadfast data, enhancing decision-making confidence. The speed at which results are delivered aids in maintaining seamless operational continuity.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Maintaining Workplace Compliance

In Raeville, NE, hair follicle tests assist employers in achieving compliance with drug-free policies, offering legal safety and peace of mind.

Contributing to Workplace Safety

Employers can rest assured knowing that compliance is backed with accurate results, reinforcing a safer and legally sound workplace 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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