Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Roscoe, NE

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is recognized as an effective means for detecting substance use. Providing a timeline of drug and alcohol intake, hair captures biomarkers as it grows. When cut near the scalp, it offers an approximate detection period of up to three months. Hair is easy to gather, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A sample size of 1.5 inches with roughly 200 hair strands (similar to the thickness of a #2 pencil) yields 100mg, which is the optimal quantity for both screening and validation. For tests involving EtG, extensions, and those surpassing 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. Using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample is recommended. If scalp hair isn’t available, a comparable volume of body hair may be collected. "Head hair" pertains exclusively to the scalp, while "body hair" encompasses all other types, including facial and axillary.

Process Overview

The procedure in a lab for processing drug test outcomes includes four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning refers to the initial integration of a sample into a lab’s database, which includes confirming proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigning a LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any extra data entry needed if not covered by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening involves a preliminary review looking for substance misuse. Although it serves as an affordable approach for eliminating drug use from most samples, any positive screening outcome requires confirmation to stand in judicial proceedings. Screens that appear positive necessitate additional confirmation.

With an initial indication of positivity during Screening, additional hair is extracted for the Extraction phase. Here, drug compounds are separated from hair at significantly lower levels than alternatives like urine or oral fluids, making hair testing the most complex method to conduct.

Confirmation of any preliminary positive outcomes is achieved via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples are cleansed prior to confirmation as necessary. The complete lab cycle from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) specifications in Hair and aligned with ISO / IEC 17025 certification.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: While urine tests provide a limited detection range, hair analysis can uncover drug use spanning up to 90 days.
• Hard to manipulate: Tampering with hair drug tests is challenging, ensuring more reliable results.
• Tracks historical consumption: It reflects drug habits over time, rather than indicating only recent use.

Limitations:

• Does not reveal recent usage: Drug presence in hair appears in around 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair testing methods typically cost more than other testing alternatives.
• Result disparities: Hair color and individual growth variations can alter drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: What’s commonly termed a "hair follicle test" actually examines the hair shaft, not the follicle beneath the skin.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Roscoe, NE Compared to urine tests, hair follicle analysis provides a more reliable overview of substance use, given its advanced detection capabilities over an extended timeframe.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Roscoe, NE Hair testing reveals substance use histories extending up to 90 days. This comprehensive detection window offers employers in-depth insights into the behavioral patterns of candidates or employees, ensuring informed decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Roscoe, NE Hair follicle tests significantly deter tampering, ensuring sample integrity. This method reduces the chances of sample adulteration, providing dependable and definitive results that stand up to scrutiny.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Roscoe, NE With a network of nationwide testing sites, accessing test facilities is convenient and straightforward. Local and nationwide centers streamline the process, ensuring testing is quick and efficient.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Roscoe, NE The streamlined procedure for scheduling, conducting, and receiving results secures both ease and confidentiality, addressing privacy concerns efficiently and sensitively.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Roscoe, NE By offering competitive prices and quick turnaround times, we provide companies with outstanding value, ensuring both cost-effectiveness and rapid, reliable outcomes.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Roscoe, NE Hair follicle tests offer unparalleled speed and precision in detecting drug use. Their accuracy in identifying substance intake is exceptionally high, making them invaluable for employers and professionals needing consistent and swift results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Roscoe, NE Employers gain reassurance through hair follicle testing, aligning with drug-free workplace policies. It mitigates legal challenges and fosters a secure work 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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