Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Bingham, UT

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as an influential resource for identifying substance and alcohol consumption. Hair accumulates chemical traces over time by embedding them in the structure of the hair shaft. By taking a sample near the scalp, it can reflect drug and alcohol use for as long as 90 days. Hair is easy to collect, relatively challenging to tamper with, and straightforward to transport.

A section of 1.5 inches from roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the girth of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal quantity for both screening and confirmation examinations. For tests involving EtG, additional panels, or those that exceed 10 panels, a 150mg sample is suggested. Utilizing a jeweler's scale for weighing the sample is advisable. In cases where scalp hair is scarce, an equivalent sample of body hair can be used. Here, head hair refers specifically to scalp hair, whereas body hair includes all other forms (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The primary phases in processing a drug test result in a laboratory are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the foundational handling of a specimen into a laboratory's process. This involves confirming that the specimen was adequately sealed and transported, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and executing any supplementary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides an introductory assessment for substances of abuse. While Screening offers an economical method to exclude drug consumption in most cases, results indicating usage require additional verification to be legally binding. Samples with a presumptive positive result during Screening mandate further validation.

Should a sample show initial positive indications during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original collection and prepared for Extraction. This phase involves retrieving drugs from the hair at much lower concentrations compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which accounts for why hair drug testing is notably complex.

Confirmation of any initial positive findings is done using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Any presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation if necessary. The complete laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed following both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair criteria and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection range: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a more limited detection period.
• Resistant to tampering: Cheat attempts with hair drug tests are notably challenging, enhancing the reliability of outcomes.
• Chronological consumption data: It can reveal a user's drug consumption pattern over time, not merely recent activities.

Limitations:

• Incapable of identifying recent usage: Drugs require around 5-7 days to become traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs compared to other testing strategies.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual growth variations can impact drug metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", this assessment examines the hair strand rather than the hair follicle beneath the skin

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Bingham, UT, hair follicle testing excels over traditional urine tests. The extended detection capabilities provide more thorough insights into substance use, ensuring no recent usage goes unnoticed.

Compared to urine tests, hair follicle assessments in Bingham demonstrate superior reliability, maintaining accuracy and offering a more comprehensive drug use history without the risk of tampering.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle tests in Bingham, UT, offer a substantial advantage due to their prolonged detection period. Capable of identifying drug use for up to 90 days, they allow for a complete understanding of substance history.

This extended timeframe ensures employers gain detailed insights into an applicant's or employee's usage habits, fostering informed decision-making processes regarding hiring or continued employment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Bingham, UT, hair follicle testing stands as a tamper-resistant method, significantly reducing adulteration risks. Its resilience ensures sample integrity, providing unquestionable results that clients trust.

Hair tests' rigorous collection procedures deter attempts to alter or invalidate outcomes, making them a more secure option compared to susceptible methods like urine tests.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Bingham, UT residents enjoy the convenience of nationwide testing locations. Our centers provide straightforward, quick access to testing services, drastically simplifying the drug and alcohol screening process.

With numerous local testing facilities in Bingham and across the country, access to necessary tests becomes hassle-free, ensuring efficient and user-friendly service for clients.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Bingham, UT, the process for hair follicle testing remains simple and confidential. From ordering tests to receiving results, clients experience a seamless procedure emphasizing privacy and ease.

Addressing concerns about confidentiality, the discreet nature of our testing services ensures clients uphold their privacy while gaining timely, accurate results without unnecessary complications.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Companies in Bingham, UT benefit from affordable hair follicle testing pricing and swift turnaround times. Competitive pricing structures cater to organizations of all sizes, providing excellent value.

This cost-effective approach, combined with fast result delivery, ensures businesses maintain budgetary efficiency while achieving reliable drug-testing outcomes, enhancing employer confidence and satisfaction.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Bingham, UT residents benefit from hair follicle testing due to its high accuracy and rapid results. Unlike traditional methods, hair testing quickly identifies substance use, providing fast, precise insights into an individual's history.

Clients in Bingham can trust in the reliability of hair follicle tests. With swift analysis and dependable outcomes, these tests assure accurate detection of drug use, emphasizing their efficiency over other methods.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Bingham, UT, find peace of mind through hair follicle testing, aligning with workplace drug-free policies. This method ensures compliance, mitigates legal risks, and promotes a safer work environment.

By employing thorough and trustworthy hair follicle tests, companies reinforce organizational integrity and bolster their commitment to maintaining safe and productive workplaces.

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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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