Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Winnetoon, NE

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol use. Hair establishes a long-term record of narcotics and other substances by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the extending hair shaft. When sourced near the scalp, hair can offer around a 3-month detection time frame for alcohol and drugs. Hair is straightforward to collect, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch specimen of roughly 200 hair strands (akin to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the perfect sample for screening and confirmation. For EtG additions and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is suggested. We suggest weighing the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If head hair is not available, a comparable amount of body hair can be collected. When we mention head hair, we are referring to scalp hair solely. Body hair pertains to all other hair kinds (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning entails the initial assimilation of a sample into a laboratory’s system. This includes verifying the sample was sealed and shipped correctly, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and conducting any additional data entry not facilitated by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves an initial swift assessment for substance abuse. While Screening is an economical method to exclude drug use on most samples, a positive screen necessitates confirmation to be valid in court. Samples that are tentatively positive in Screening mandate secondary confirmation.

If a sample is tentatively positive during the Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample and readied for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are derived from hair at a significantly lower concentration than in other approaches (ex. urine or oral fluid), which marks hair drug screening as the most intricate methodology to execute.

Verification of any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All apparent positive samples receive cleansing prior to confirmation as required. The entire laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for a period of up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which offer a briefer detection interval.
• Hard to falsify: Falsifying a hair drug test is very challenging, enhancing the accuracy of the results.
• Yields historical data: It can offer a profile of drug use over a span of time, not simply recent usage.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent use: It requires approximately 5-7 days for drugs to be traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests tend to be pricier compared to other drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual disparities in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: While often described as "hair follicle tests", the analysis itself targets the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Winnetoon, NE
Hair follicle tests offer superior detection accuracy, reliably identifying substance use over an extended period. Unlike urine tests, which typically detect recent drug use, hair tests track drug intake for up to 90 days. This enhanced detection capability allows employers and authorities in Winnetoon to make more informed decisions, reducing the likelihood of overlooking habitual substance use.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Winnetoon, NE
The ability of hair follicle testing to trace drug use over a much longer period of up to 90 days marks its standout advantage. This extended detection capacity offers businesses in Winnetoon a thorough understanding of an individual’s drug history, thereby ensuring comprehensive due diligence. This is indispensable for making well-informed hiring or ongoing employment decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Winnetoon, NE
Hair follicle tests dramatically minimize the chances of sample adulteration. The stringent collection and testing process ensures that the test results remain untainted and trustworthy. This feature makes hair testing a preferred choice in Winnetoon, providing results that are difficult to falsify, reinforcing the integrity and dependability of the testing outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Winnetoon, NE
Accredited Drug Testing provides a network of convenient testing centers across the nation, including local sites in Winnetoon. This extensive availability ensures that individuals and businesses can readily access testing services with minimal inconvenience, providing a seamless and efficient experience, meeting diverse testing needs swiftly and effectively.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Winnetoon, NE
Our process is designed to be straightforward and private, upholding confidentiality from order to result. This simplicity ensures privacy and peace of mind for clients in Winnetoon. The entire journey, from scheduling the test to receiving outcomes, is user-friendly, addressing various concerns and guaranteeing an unobtrusive testing experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Winnetoon, NE
Competitive pricing paired with swift turnaround offers exceptional value for businesses of varying sizes in Winnetoon. This ensures companies receive cost-effective services without compromising on speed, effectively balancing budgetary constraints with the need for rapid, dependable testing outcomes that facilitate informed decision-making.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Winnetoon, NE
Hair follicle drug testing assures speed and precision. This efficient method is designed to swiftly detect substance use with high accuracy, giving it an edge over conventional testing methods. The streamlined process in Winnetoon ensures rapid turnaround, delivering results that are both reliable and timely, bolstering confidence in the testing outcomes.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Winnetoon, NE
Utilizing hair follicle testing helps employers maintain adherence to drug-free workplace policies. This testing method mitigates legal risks and enhances safety, fostering trust between employers and employees. Winnetoon businesses can benefit from such compliance, ensuring a secure and responsible work environment that aligns with established standards and expectations.

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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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