Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Lake Aluma, OK

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as a formidable method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged record of alcohol and other substances by capturing biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When gathered close to the scalp, hair can provide about a 3-month detection period for alcohol and other drugs. Hair is easy to collect, relatively tough to tamper with, and straightforward to mail.

A 1.5-inch segment of around 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) near the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for analysis and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is advised. It is suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. When referring to head hair, it implies scalp hair exclusively. Body hair applies to all other hair types (facial, underarm, etc.).

Process Overview

The four fundamental steps in the lab processing of a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning starts with the initial handling of a sample into a lab’s system. This encompasses confirming the sample was securely sealed and correctly sent, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and filling in any further data entry not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening includes an initial rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. While Screening is an economical method to eliminate drug use for the bulk of samples, a positive screen requires confirmation to be valid in court. Any samples that present a presumptive positive during Screening necessitate a secondary confirmation.

If a sample is presumptively positive during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the initial specimen and readied for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting why hair drug screening is the most complex technique to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before confirmation as necessary. The entire laboratory sequence from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and compliance with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, in contrast to urine tests which have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Challenge to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is very challenging, thus ensuring results are more precise.
• Reveals historical usage: It provides a timeline of drug use over some time, not merely recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent consumption: It takes roughly 5-7 days for drugs to be traceable in hair.
• Expensive: Hair drug tests generally entail higher costs compared to other drug testing techniques.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and unique differences in hair growth can impact the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Despite commonly being called "hair follicle tests", the test actually examines the hair strand and not the follicle under the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Comparing hair testing with traditional urine tests in Lake Aluma, OK, shows clear advantages. Hair tests have superior detection capabilities and reliability.

The accuracy of hair testing outweighs that of urine tests, offering a robust solution for employers seeking thorough examination.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing provides an extensive detection window of up to 90 days in Lake Aluma, OK. This allows for a comprehensive overview of drug use.

Employers benefit from knowledge of an individual’s sustained substance history, informing better decision-making processes.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Using hair follicle tests in Lake Aluma, OK, minimizes the chances of tampering, ensuring results are reliable and undeniable.

By reducing adulteration risks, these tests uphold a higher standard of testing integrity.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient testing centers nationwide, including Lake Aluma, OK, our services provide quick and hassle-free testing access.

This extensive coverage ensures that our centers are readily available for your testing needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Lake Aluma, OK, our testing process is designed to be both simple and confidential, making it easy for you to order, take, and receive your test results.

We prioritize privacy, ensuring that the entire experience is seamless and stress-free.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing and fast turnaround times, our hair follicle testing in Lake Aluma, OK, provides excellent value for businesses of any size.

This economic approach ensures cost-effectiveness without compromising quality.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Lake Aluma, OK, hair follicle testing stands out due to its precision and efficiency. It offers fast and accurate results, pinpointing substance use effectively.

The method's high accuracy in identifying drug use highlights its reliability. With speedy processing, it ensures timely results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

In Lake Aluma, OK, hair follicle testing ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies, enhancing compliance and providing peace of mind.

Such testing reduces legal liabilities and supports a safer 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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