Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Mount Hood, OR

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is now regarded as an effective means for tracking drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended historical record of substance use by encapsulating biomarkers within the hair strand as it grows. When sourced near the scalp, hair can reveal a detection period of roughly three months for alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, relatively tamper-resistant, and easy to transport.

An optimal screening and verification sample consists of a 1.5-inch portion containing about 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil diameter), providing 100mg of hair. For EtG, supplementary, and/or more extensive tests beyond 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale for specimen measurement is suggested. If head hair isn't available, a similar quantity of body hair can be collected. When mentioning head hair, it implies scalp hair strictly. Body hair denotes all other hair types (e.g., facial, axillary).

Process Overview

The laboratory procedure for deriving a drug test outcome includes four key phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning deals with the initial integration of a sample into the lab system. This phase ensures the sample was properly sealed and sent, assigns a Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and completes additional data entry unattainable from a digital chain of custody.

Screening involves a preliminary rapid assessment for illicit substances. Although it is an economical method for ruling out drug use in most cases, a positive initial screen needs verification to be court-admissible. Samples suspected of being positive require a follow-up confirmation.

If a sample is deemed presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair from the original sample is set aside for Extraction. Here, drugs are isolated from the hair at much lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), highlighting the complexity of hair drug screening execution.

Confirmation of any positive Screen result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples are cleansed before needed confirmation. The complete laboratory sequence from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use over up to 90 days, compared to shorter timeframes in urine tests.
• Hard to bypass: Cheating a hair drug test is challenging, enhancing result reliability.
• Chronological data: It reveals a timeline of substance use over time, not just immediate instances.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent intake: It generally takes 5-7 days for substances to appear in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests usually have higher costs than alternative drug testing approaches.
• Result fluctuations: Elements like hair color and personal hair growth variations may influence metabolite levels in the hair.

Note: Despite often being termed "hair follicle tests", the test evaluates the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Mount Hood, OR, easily surpasses urine tests given its more accurate detection and consistent reliability. Hair tests cover a broader period, offering superior insights into one's substance history.

Extended Detection Window

In Mount Hood, OR, the extended detection offered by hair follicle tests benefits employers who wish to effectively gauge longer-term drug usage, with result windows lasting up to 90 days.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Mount Hood, OR, minimizes tampering risks. With secure collection procedures, it offers trustworthy results, making sample adulteration nearly impossible.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our extensive network of test centers makes accessibility in Mount Hood, OR, effortless and stress-free, courtesy of our nationwide coverage complimenting local facilities.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Mount Hood, OR, enjoy our straightforward and private testing from scheduling to results delivery, ensuring user-friendly experience while keeping your data confidential.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Competitive pricing and fast result turnaround are staples of our hair follicle testing services in Mount Hood, OR, perfect for businesses of varying scales.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Mount Hood, OR, the accuracy and speed of hair follicle tests provide reliable results for detecting substance use. Hair testing outshines older methods with a higher precision rate, ensuring any detection is beyond doubt.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

By choosing hair follicle testing, employers in Mount Hood, OR, can ensure compliance with drug-free policies, reducing legal liabilities and fostering 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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