Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Chattanooga, OH

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly recognized as a potent method for detecting drug and alcohol use. Hair captures a prolonged record of alcohol and drug consumption by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of a growing hair strand. A sample collected near the scalp can offer a detection period of up to approximately three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively resistant to tampering, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch sample, consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the size of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp, yields 100mg of hair, which is considered an optimal sample for screening and verification. For EtG, additional analyses, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It's suggested to measure the sample using a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, a comparable quantity of body hair can be collected. When mentioning head hair, it specifically refers to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The processing of drug test results in the laboratory comprises four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning encompasses the initial processing of a sample into the lab's system. This step includes ensuring the sample was sealed and shipped correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails a preliminary rapid examination for substances of abuse. While Screening is a cost-efficient method to exclude drug consumption in most samples, a positive screen necessitates confirmation for court admissibility. All samples tentatively positive in Screening require an additional confirmation.

If a sample shows tentative positivity in the Screening phase, more hair is extracted from the initial specimen and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, substances are removed from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to other methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), explaining why hair drug screening is the most challenging methodology to implement.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All tentative positive samples are cleansed before confirmation as required. The comprehensive lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is audited 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 period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter detection range.
• Challenging to evade: It's extremely challenging to manipulate a hair drug test, thus enhancing result accuracy.
• Yields historical information: It can illustrate a pattern of drug use over time, not merely recent usage.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent utilization: It takes about 5-7 days for drugs to be traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs compared to other drug testing approaches.
• Result variations: Elements like hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: While commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand, not the follicle under the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Testing Outperforms Urine Tests in Chattanooga, OH is a topic worth discussion. Hair testing far exceeds traditional urine tests in terms of detection accuracy and reliability. It allows for a much longer detection window, providing more comprehensive insights into an individual's substance use history.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window offered by hair follicle testing in Chattanooga, OH is a significant advantage. This method can trace drug use up to 90 days back, providing employers with a detailed view of an individual’s substance use history, beyond what standard tests can offer.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing is a prominent feature of hair follicle tests in Chattanooga, OH. This testing method drastically lowers the risk of adulteration, ensuring the results are both reliable and indisputable, thus fostering trust in the testing process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenience and Accessibility are key as our nationwide and local testing centers in Chattanooga, OH offer hassle-free access to services. Quick and easy testing is available just around the corner, thanks to our extensive network of centers.

Simple, Confidential Process

Confidential and Simple Process is what clients can expect in Chattanooga, OH. The straightforward and private nature of ordering and obtaining results answers privacy concerns and ensures user-friendliness throughout the testing experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable and Efficient Service is the promise in Chattanooga, OH. Our competitive pricing paired with fast turnaround times ensures great value and peace of mind for businesses of every size, making us a preferred choice.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, accurate results are what Chattanooga, OH relies on when it comes to hair follicle drug testing. Precision and speed are the hallmarks of these tests, offering high accuracy in detecting substance use. Employers and professionals can trust in the rapid results, ensuring timely decisions and actions.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Peace of Mind for Employers in Chattanooga, OH is secured through hair follicle testing. By aligning with drug-free workplace policies, employers mitigate legal risks, ensuring safety and compliance, and maintaining a healthy 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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