Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Brush Creek, OK

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now recognized as an effective means to detect drug and alcohol use. By capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair strand, hair provides an extended history of alcohol and drug consumption. A sample collected near the scalp offers an approximate detection window of up to three months for alcohol and other substances. Hair sample collection is straightforward, fairly resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.

An ideal sample for screening and confirmation consists of a 1.5-inch segment, roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil), located nearest to the scalp, providing approximately 100mg. For tests involving EtG, add-ons, or more than 10 panels, a sample of 150mg is advisable. We suggest weighing the specimen on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not present, a comparable quantity of body hair is an alternative. When discussing head hair, it's specific to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Procedure Summary

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

Accessioning is the initial phase of processing a sample within a laboratory’s system. This step ensures the sample was properly sealed and transported, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any necessary data entry not accounted for by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary examination for drug abuse. Although screening is a cost-efficient approach to rule out drug consumption in most samples, a positive screen must be verified for it to be acceptable in legal contexts. Samples with presumptive positive results in Screening require secondary confirmation.

If the Screening phase yields a presumptive positive outcome, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen for further preparation in Extraction. During this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at concentrations much lower than other testing methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting the complexity of hair drug screening.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is achieved using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Before confirmation, all presumptive positive samples are washed, as necessary. The complete laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed under CAP’s (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage for up to 90 days, as opposed to urine tests which have shorter detection periods.
• Resistant to tampering: The likelihood of cheating a hair drug test is very low, enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical usage data: Hair testing reveals a timeline of drug usage, not just recent activity.

Constraints:

• Incapable of detecting recent usage: It typically takes 5-7 days for drugs to be noticeable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing is generally costlier than alternative testing methods.
• Result variations: Individual factors like hair color and growth rates can impact drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: The term "hair follicle tests" is commonly misused; the actual analysis is conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

The benefits of hair follicle testing over urine testing in Brush Creek, OK, are compelling. Hair testing offers a longer detection period, providing insights unavailable through urine tests.

Unlike more traditional urine tests, hair follicle testing demonstrates superior detection accuracy and reliability, offering a much broader scope of substance use analysis.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Brush Creek, OK, offers a longer window of detection, covering up to 90 days. This comprehensive view allows employers to evaluate an applicant or employee's history effectively.

Providing insights into drug use over an extended period, hair follicle tests deliver a more detailed perspective on substance history, crucial for thorough assessments.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Brush Creek, OK, significantly minimize the risk of sample tampering, ensuring the integrity of results. This method is recognized for its reliability and accuracy.

Guaranteed to provide trustworthy outcomes, hair follicle testing employs measures that reduce the likelihood of manipulation, presenting undeniable results consistently.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient locations nationwide, including Brush Creek, OK, testing access is straightforward and hassle-free. Our network ensures you're never far from a screening center.

Convenience comes standard with our widespread testing centers, allowing easy access to services wherever you are, including local Brush Creek, OK, locations.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process in Brush Creek, OK, is simple and confidential. Ordering, taking, and receiving results is straightforward, ensuring privacy and ease-of-use every step of the way.

We prioritize user confidentiality throughout the hassle-free procedure, ensuring that privacy concerns are addressed while maintaining simplicity and efficiency.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Brush Creek, OK, our competitive pricing and rapid turnaround provide companies of all sizes with excellent value. Affordability doesn't compromise the speed or reliability of our testing.

We offer a cost-effective solution that maintains fast processing and trustworthy outcomes, ensuring comprehensive testing is accessible to all businesses.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Brush Creek, OK, hair follicle testing offers swift and accurate results, allowing for timely detection of drug use. The precision of hair testing in identifying substances enhances its reliability, making it a preferred choice for many.

Employing advanced techniques, hair follicle tests ensure high detection accuracy. This approach provides rapid and dependable results, demonstrating its superiority over traditional testing methods.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

In Brush Creek, OK, hair follicle testing supports employers in maintaining compliance with workplace drug-free policies, reducing potential legal liabilities.

This testing method enhances peace of mind by ensuring zero tolerance for drug use in the workplace, contributing to a safe and compliant 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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