Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Kings Park, VA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair retains a chronological record of substance use by embedding biomarkers within its strands as they grow. When taken near the scalp, hair can reveal drug and alcohol use over roughly a 3-month span. Collecting hair is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch section of roughly 200 hair strands (akin to the thickness of a #2 pencil) collected close to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for analysis and confirmation. For extended tests, such as EtG add-ons or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is preferred. It's advisable to measure the sample using a jeweler's scale. Should scalp hair be lacking, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. 'Head hair' pertains solely to scalp hair, while 'body hair' includes all other types (e.g., facial, axillary).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of drug test results encompasses four core steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

During Accessioning, a sample is initially logged into a lab system, which involves confirming the sample's proper sealing and shipment, assigning a LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data entry not covered by an electronic custody system.

Screening provides a preliminary examination for drugs. Although this is a cost-effective strategy to exclude drug use in most cases, a positive Screening result must be validated for legal proceedings. Samples with positive Screening results undergo a secondary confirmation.

Presumptive positives identified at the Screening stage result in additional hair being extracted from the original sample for the Extraction process. In this step, drugs are isolated from hair at lower concentrations than those used in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid tests), making hair drug screening the most challenging method to execute.

GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS is used to confirm any positive screening findings. Any samples testing positive are washed before confirmation as necessary. The complete lab processing from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, compared to the shorter detection span of urine tests.
• Hard to fake: The difficulty of falsifying hair tests contributes to higher accuracy in results.
• Historical insight: They can illustrate a timeline of drug use, beyond just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent use: A 5-7 day period is needed before drugs are detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair tests generally come at a higher cost than other drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and different rates of hair growth can influence drug metabolite concentrations.

Note: Despite being often labeled as "hair follicle tests," the testing procedure actually evaluates the hair strand instead of the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Kings Park, VA rests on several key factors. Hair testing boasts superior detection capability and reliability by revealing a longer history of drug use compared to urine tests, making it a preferred choice for comprehensive assessments.

Extended Detection Window

With an Extended Detection Window in Kings Park, VA, hair follicle testing offers valuable insights by revealing drug usage over up to 90 days. This generous span allows employers to gain a more detailed understanding of a person's substance history, enhancing their evaluations.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Kings Park, VA ensures that hair follicle tests remain a robust option against sample adulteration. This methodology significantly lowers the chance of tampering, delivering trustworthy and indisputable results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and those in Kings Park, VA offer seamless access to testing services. With an extensive network of centers, obtaining drug tests is both quick and straightforward, ensuring a hassle-free experience for everyone involved.

Simple, Confidential Process

The Simple, Confidential Process in Kings Park, VA guarantees ease and privacy when ordering, conducting, and receiving hair drug test results. This method addresses privacy concerns and ensures a user-friendly experience for all participants.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

With Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Kings Park, VA, our testing services provide competitive pricing options and swift results. This combination delivers excellent value and assurance for businesses of varying sizes.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Kings Park, VA emphasize the precision and efficiency of hair follicle drug tests. Known for their high accuracy, these tests swiftly and effectively detect substance use, providing dependable outcomes for employers and individuals alike.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Utilizing hair follicle testing lends to Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Kings Park, VA. This approach aids in upholding drug-free workplace policies, minimizing legal liabilities, and promoting a safer working environment for all employees.

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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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