Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Redondo, WA

What it is, How it works

Seen as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol use, hair testing captures history through biomarkers in the hair's fiber. When obtained near the scalp, it can reveal drug and alcohol use over a period of up to roughly three months. Hair samples are straightforward to gather, resistant to adulteration, and simple to transport.

A sample of 1.5 inches made up of around 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) near the scalp provides 100mg, which is optimal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional assessments, and/or more than 10-panel tests, 150mg is advisable. It's suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler's scale. If head hair isn't present, an equivalent mass of body hair can be utilized. Reference to head hair means specifically scalp hair, while body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The quartet of primary stages in producing a drug test result in the lab are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

The Accessioning phase processes the sample into the lab's system, ensuring it's sealed and shipped correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing data entry as needed when not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening conducts an initial drug abuse assessment. It's cost-effective for screening out most samples, though any positive results require confirmation for legal admissibility. Any presumptively positive screenings necessitate a secondary confirmation.

When a sample is presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the primary sample for preparation in Extraction. Here, drugs are drawn from hair at a much lower concentration than other methods like urine or oral fluid, which makes hair drug testing notably challenging.

To confirm any positive screening result, techniques like GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS are employed. Presumptively positive samples undergo washing before confirmation if needed. The comprehensive lab process from Accessioning through Confirmation is evaluated according to both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests monitor drug use over up to 90 days, whereas urine tests offer a shorter span of detection.
• Hard to deceive: Hair drug tests are challenging to tamper with, yielding more reliable results.
• Offers usage history: Provides a longer-term use pattern, rather than only recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent use: Drugs take around 5-7 days to be traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are generally pricier than other testing approaches.
• Varied outcomes: Hair color and individual growth variations can influence drug metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Commonly called "hair follicle tests", these tests actually examine the hair strand and not the hair follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Redondo, WA, hair follicle testing surpasses traditional urine tests in many ways. Hair tests provide superior accuracy, with a detection window covering up to 90 days of drug use, compared to the shorter range of urine tests.

When comparing hair and urine tests, the reliability of detecting substance use in hair samples stands out. Redondo, WA, professionals favor hair testing for its thoroughness and reduced likelihood of false negatives.

Extended Detection Window

The key strength of hair follicle tests in Redondo, WA, is the extended detection window, capturing drug use over a span of up to 90 days. This extensive review enables employers to get a complete profile of an individual's substance history.

Employers in Redondo, WA, benefit from hair testing's ability to chronicle drug use across months, an essential feature for thorough pre-employment screening.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Redondo, WA, the hair follicle testing method offers a strong defense against tampering. The sample collection process is straightforward and resistant to manipulation.

With the hair follicle test's resistance to adulteration, Redondo, WA, businesses trust the results as they offer an unyielding guarantee of authenticity.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our testing centers dot the nation, including convenient locations in Redondo, WA, simplifying the drug testing process with easy access.

Accredited Drug Testing provides a hassle-free experience in Redondo, WA, backed by a network of test centers, ensuring swift and straightforward service.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Redondo, WA, the process of hair follicle testing is streamlined, respecting client confidentiality at every stage. Order, test, and receive results without compromising privacy.

Engage in a simple, discreet testing procedure in Redondo, WA, where privacy is paramount, and results are delivered seamlessly.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Competitive pricing and prompt turnaround make hair follicle drug testing in Redondo, WA, an attractive choice for businesses of any size.

Rely on our cost-effective options in Redondo, WA, where affordability and speed coincide, delivering superior service to companies at all scales.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Redondo, WA, hair follicle drug tests are known for delivering swift and reliable outcomes. Their precision in identifying substance use is unmatched, ensuring rapid and accurate results every time.

The high accuracy of hair tests makes them preferable in scenarios demanding precise drug use detection. They efficiently identify a wide range of substances, ensuring timely and dependable testing.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Hair testing delivers peace of mind to employers in Redondo, WA, by ensuring they comply with drug-free workplace policies, thereby diminishing legal risks.

Employer satisfaction is heightened through hair follicle testing in Redondo, WA, fostering safety and compliance with organizational guidelines.

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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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