Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Mangum, OK

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as an effective methodology for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The strands of hair encapsulate drug and alcohol indicators, serving as a long-term record of such usage. Collected from close to the scalp, hair offers up to a 3-month detection period for these substances. The collection process of hair is uncomplicated, somewhat resistant to tampering, and straightforward for shipping.

A 1.5-inch segment consisting of around 200 hair strands (approximating the size of a #2 pencil) from the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the prime sample quantity for analysis and validation. For EtG, supplemental, and/or tests exceeding 10-panel assessments, 150mg is advised. It's suggested to use a jeweler's scale to weigh the specimen. If scalp hair is unavailable, a comparable volume of body hair may be used. References to head hair pertain strictly to scalp hair. All other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.) are considered body hair.

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result comprises four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial incorporation of a sample into the laboratory's database. This step ensures the sample was correctly sealed and transported, assigns a random Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and completes any outstanding data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening includes a preliminary assessment for potential drug usage. While Screening effectively eliminates drug presence in most samples, a positive result necessitates additional confirmation to be valid in legal settings. Samples that return a presumptive positive in Screening require further confirmation.

If the Screening results indicate a presumptive positive, additional hair is extracted from the original sample for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at substantially lower concentrations than in other methodologies (such as urine or oral fluid), highlighting why hair drug screening presents significant challenges.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is executed utilizing GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to confirmation if necessary. Every step of the laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation adheres to both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug assessments identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which offer a shorter detection scope.
• Challenge to manipulate: Manipulating a hair drug assessment is challenging, resulting in more reliable outcomes.
• Provides chronological information: It presents a usage pattern over a longer timeframe, not merely recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Detectability of drugs in hair arises 5-7 days post-consumption.
• Expense: Hair drug assessments usually incur higher costs compared to other testing methods.
• Result variations: Elements such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth can alter drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Often termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually examines the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Mangum, OK, hair follicle testing offers advantages over urine testing. It provides superior detection accuracy and reliability, giving it an edge in drug testing.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Mangum, OK, offers an extended detection window, capturing drug use history over 90 days. This gives employers a broader view of an individual's substance habits.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Mangum, OK, stand out for their tamper-resistant nature, minimizing sample adulteration risk and ensuring dependable results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Mangum, OK, the convenience of numerous nationwide testing centers makes accessing hair follicle drug testing services easy and hassle-free.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Mangum, OK, is straightforward and confidential, addressing privacy concerns effectively.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

With competitive pricing and fast turnaround times, our hair follicle testing in Mangum, OK, offers great value for businesses.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Mangum, OK, the precision and speed of hair follicle drug tests are unmatched. These analyses provide high accuracy in identifying substance use, ensuring fast and reliable results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Using hair follicle tests in Mangum, OK, helps employers maintain compliance with drug-free policies, reducing legal risks and enhancing workplace safety.

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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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