Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Redington, NE

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is recognized as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains long-term evidence of alcohol and drug use by capturing biomarkers within the hair strand's developing fibers. When collected from near the scalp, it can provide up to a three-month detection period for substances. Collecting hair is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A sample length of 1.5 inches, consisting of approximately 200 hair strands (akin to the thickness of a pencil), nearest to the scalp, will yield 100mg, which is the optimal quantity for testing and verification. In the case of EtG, extra tests, or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg sample is advised. A jeweler's scale is recommended for weighing. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. "Head hair" refers exclusively to scalp hair. "Body hair" encompasses all other hair types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory drug test result processing involves four main steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes the initial processing phase, where a sample is logged into the laboratory's system. This step ensures the sample was properly sealed and dispatched, assigns an arbitrary LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and handles any additional data input not covered by an electronic custody chain system.

Screening conducts an initial assessment for substance abuse. While it is an economical way to eliminate suspicion for most samples, any positive findings in Screening must be verified to be accepted in legal proceedings. Samples that test positive in Screening require additional confirmation.

For samples testing positive in Screening, more hair is extracted from the original sample for the Extraction stage. Here, drugs are extracted from hair at concentrations much lower than in other techniques (e.g., urine or oral swabs), making hair drug testing a complex methodology.

Any positive Screening results are confirmed with GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, all presumptively positive samples are washed when required. The end-to-end laboratory procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is conducted under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and complies with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Prolonged detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests that have a shorter timeframe.
• Resilient to tampering: Altering a hair drug test is challenging, ensuring higher accuracy.
• Historical usage data: Provides a pattern of drug use over time, not merely a snapshot of recent activity.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Drugs become detectable in hair after approximately 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs compared to other testing methodologies.
• Result variations: Factors such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Though often labeled as "hair follicle tests", the actual test examines the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Testing Leads in Redington: Unlike traditional urine tests, hair follicle drug tests provide a comprehensive view of drug usage history. Their precision and reliability make them preferable for employers prioritizing accurate detection over longer periods.

Accuracy Over Conventional Methods: Hair testing surpasses urine testing by offering superior detection accuracy and a longer detection window, ensuring Redington employers adhere to zero-tolerance policies more effectively.

Extended Detection Window

Long-Term Detection: Hair follicle testing in Redington, NE, shines with its ability to detect drug use for up to 90 days. This extended window allows employers to gain a thorough understanding of an individual's substance history, aiding in more informed hiring decisions.

Comprehensive View: With a longer detection period than urine tests, hair tests offer a detailed insight into long-term drug use, crucial for employers seeking to maintain a safe work environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Resilient Against Tampering: Hair follicle tests in Redington, NE, significantly minimize the chance of sample adulteration, ensuring credible and consistent results. This method renders efforts to manipulate the sample virtually impossible.

Reliable Testing: The structure of hair data collection prevents tampering effectively, providing Redington employers with certainty in test results, and acts as a strong anti-cheating measure.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accessible Testing Venues: Our widespread testing centers provide personnel in and around Redington, NE, with easy access to hair follicle drug screening facilities nationwide, ensuring a smooth and convenient testing process.

Localized Convenience: With strategic locations in Redington, navigating drug testing is hassle-free, supported by our local presence and efficient service teams, accommodating diverse testing needs seamlessly.

Simple, Confidential Process

Effortless Procedure: The hair follicle test process in Redington, NE, is simple and confidential, from ordering to result acquisition. It addresses privacy concerns effectively, making it a favored choice for both individuals and organizations.

Confidentiality Assured: Participants in Redington experience a discrete testing procedure, raising confidence in the security of personal data, all while maintaining the utmost simplicity and ease of process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Cost-Effective Solutions: In Redington, NE, our hair follicle testing offers competitive pricing models, delivering exceptional value for companies irrespective of size and ensuring cost efficiency.

Rapid Turnaround: Coupled with affordability, the swift output of results minimizes downtime, offering excellent service without compromising on quality or peace of mind.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Accurate Results: In Redington, NE, hair follicle drug tests stand out for their unmatched accuracy, swiftly identifying substance use. This method is highly reliable, ensuring employers get precise results, enhancing decision-making.

Fast Processing: Hair tests offer rapid turnaround times, allowing for quick decisions in employment and legal scenarios. This efficiency saves time, keeping processes smooth and effective.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Assurance: Using hair follicle tests ensures adherence to workplace drug-free policies in Redington, NE. This enhances peace of mind for employers by reducing legal worries and boosting overall workplace safety.

Risk Reduction: Hair testing aids compliance with legal benchmarks, minimizing risks, and safeguarding organizations from potential lawsuits or policy breaches related to drug use.

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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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