Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Agar, SD

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying the use of drugs and alcohol. The fibers of a growing hair strand capture biomarkers, providing a long-term record of alcohol and drug exposure. When taken from near the scalp, hair can reveal drug and alcohol usage over a detection period of up to about three months. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and easily transportable.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches with roughly 200 hair strands (about the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the preferred quantity for both screening and confirmation tests. For analyses involving EtG, additional panels, or more than 10-panel tests, 150mg of hair is advised. It's suggested to measure the sample using a jeweler's scale. If scalp hair is not accessible, an equivalent quantity of body hair may be used. The term head hair specifically refers to scalp hair, while body hair encompasses all other types (such as facial or underarm hair).

Process Overview

The primary stages in processing a drug test result in the lab comprise Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

During Accessioning, the sample is initially integrated into the laboratory's system. This step includes verifying proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigning a unique Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN), and completing any necessary additional data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody.

Screening encompasses a preliminary assessment for drug abuse. While Screening provides a cost-efficient analysis to generally exclude drug use in most samples, any positive screening must be confirmed to be valid for court proceedings. Samples that yield a presumptive positive result during Screening require further confirmation.

Upon a presumptive positive result in the Screening stage, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample to prepare for Extraction. In this stage, drugs are removed from hair at lower concentrations than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening a more complex procedure.

Confirmation for any positive screening outcome is performed through techniques like GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation when necessary. The comprehensive laboratory process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is reviewed following the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a more limited detection timeframe.
• Difficult to deceive: Cheating hair drug tests is quite challenging, resulting in more reliable outcomes.
• Reveals past usage: It can illustrate a timeline of drug use over months, rather than just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Cannot ascertain recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair after approximately 5-7 days.
• Higher expense: Hair drug tests generally cost more than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Differences such as hair color and personal variations in hair growth can influence the metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing surpasses urine testing in Agar, SD by delivering an exceptional detection accuracy. Unlike urine tests, hair analysis offers a broader insight into substance use histories.

An outstanding feature is its superior reliability. With advanced techniques, hair testing uncovers recent and long-standing drug use, ensuring a comprehensive view that urine tests often cannot match.

Extended Detection Window

With its extended detection window, hair follicle testing in Agar, SD provides a deeper look into substance use, covering up to 90 days. This extensive timeframe makes it easier for organizations to understand an individual's substance history.

Employers can gain invaluable insight into an applicant or employee's behavioral patterns over several months, rather than just weeks, granting clarity and assurance.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests in Agar, SD provides peace of mind. Unlike other methods, these tests greatly lower the risk of sample substitution or adulteration, ensuring unquestionable outcomes.

This method's reliability is ensured by the difficulty in altering or falsifying the test results, affirming their authenticity and boosting confidence in the findings.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient nationwide testing centers, including those in Agar, SD, accessing hair follicle testing becomes simple. Our broad network ensures quick and stress-free availability of testing services.

This extensive reach signifies that no matter where you are, professional testing services remain accessible, promoting ease of use for individuals and businesses alike.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Agar, SD is straightforward and confidential. Ordering, taking the test, and receiving results are clear and maintain the privacy of individuals involved.

Concerns about privacy are addressed, ensuring a confidential experience from start to finish. Simplicity and discretion are the cornerstones of our approach.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our competitive pricing and fast turnaround for hair follicle tests in Agar, SD offer excellent value, regardless of company size. Quick results mean companies can make timely decisions.

Affordability paired with prompt service enhances the appeal of these testing services, ensuring companies receive both value and efficiency in their testing practices.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The efficiency and precision of hair follicle drug tests in Agar, SD are unmatched. These tests swiftly provide results that are highly accurate, revealing substance use with a precision that boosts trust in the findings.

With a quick turnaround, hair tests ensure fast, dependable results. Their capability to identify substance use accurately makes them a preferred choice for timely and correct outcomes.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Hair follicle testing guarantees compliance with workplace drug policies in Agar, SD, offering employers a sense of peace. This testing reduces legal liability and enhances workplace safety.

Employers upholding zero-tolerance drug use policies can rely on this method for more authentic results, ensuring a safer and compliant 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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