Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Tygh Valley, OR

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol usage. A strand of hair captures biomarkers over its growth, storing a long-term record of substance use. When clipped close to the scalp, hair offers around a 3-month timeframe for detecting drugs and alcohol. Collecting hair is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and easy to send.

A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (roughly the girth of a #2 pencil) from the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal quantity for evaluation and verification. For EtG, supplemental tests, and/or testing exceeding 10 panels, 150mg is advisable. We suggest weighing the hair on a jeweler’s scale. If there's no scalp hair, a matching amount of body hair can be used. When we mention head hair, we are specifically indicating scalp hair. Body hair denotes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory treatment of a drug testing sample encompasses four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves integrating a specimen into a lab’s database. This covers checking the sample’s seal and shipment, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any required data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides a preliminary evaluation for substance abuse. Although Screening economically identifies drug presence in most samples, a favorable screen necessitates confirmation for legal acceptance. Any specimens with potential positive results in Screening require secondary verification.

Should a sample indicate a preliminary positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is taken from the initial source and readied for Extraction. In this step, drugs are isolated from hair at a much lower concentration than alternative approaches (e.g., urine or oral fluid), hence hair drug testing being the most challenging methodology.

To verify any favorable screening outcome, testing via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS is performed. Every sample marked presumptive positive undergoes washing before confirmation as necessary. The total lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation observes protocols under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the certification to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter detection span.
• Difficulty in deception: Cheating a hair drug test is very challenging, ensuring more reliable results.
• Chronicles usage: It establishes a timeline of drug use, not just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Unable to detect recent consumption: It requires approximately 5-7 days for drugs to become traceable in hair.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests come at a higher price than other testing techniques.
• Variability in findings: Elements such as hair color and individual growth variations can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: While often termed "hair follicle tests", the procedure examines the hair shaft rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing is Preferred Over Urine Testing in Tygh Valley, OR While traditional urine tests are commonplace, hair follicle examinations surpass them in detection accuracy and reliability.

• Extended detection window
• Less prone to tampering
• More comprehensive analysis

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Tygh Valley, OR Hair follicle testing provides unmatched insight over time, allowing for drug use detection up to 90 days back.

• Comprehensive view
• Long-term substance history

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Tygh Valley, OR In Tygh Valley, hair follicle tests are renowned for their resistance to tampering. It ensures reliable results by significantly reducing the possibility of sample adulteration or deceitful practices.

• High confidence in accuracy
• Unquestionable results

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Tygh Valley, OR Our extensive network ensures easy access to testing services.

• Nationwide centers
• Quick and hassle-free access

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Tygh Valley, OR Our testing process in Tygh Valley is designed with simplicity and confidentiality in mind.

• Easy order procedures
• Privacy-focused
• Convenient result receipt

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Tygh Valley, OR We are committed to offering competitive pricing structures without compromising on quality or speed.

• Cost-effective
• Rapid results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Tygh Valley, OR The excellence of hair follicle drug testing is found in its

• Precision
• Speed
• Reliability

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Tygh Valley, OR By leveraging hair follicle assessments, employers adhere to drug-free policies, reducing legal challenges.

• Enhanced workplace safety
• Legal risk minimization

Drug Testing Near Tygh Valley, OR

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Kent, OR

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Maupin, OR

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Wasco, OR

Wamic, OR

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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