Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Cashton, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as a formidable method for identifying the consumption of drugs and alcohol. The fibers of the hair shaft capture and store biomarkers, documenting a prolonged history of alcohol and drugs. When hair is cut close to the head, it can provide an estimated 90-day detection period for the presence of alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to collect, tough to tamper with, and convenient to send for examination.

A lock of hair measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of roughly 200 strands (about the diameter of a #2 pencil) near the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is an ideal amount for analysis and verification. For tests requiring EtG, additional testing, and/or more than a 10-panel test, 150mg of the material is advisable. Using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample is suggested. If scalp hair cannot be obtained, a similar quantity of body hair can be used instead. When we mention head hair, we mean scalp hair exclusively. All other hair types (e.g., facial, axillary) fall under body hair.

Process Overview

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

Accessioning is the preliminary stage where a sample is integrated into a laboratory's system. This entails ensuring the sample was properly sealed and transported, generating a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and entering any supplemental data not captured by an electronic chain of custody framework.

Screening involves an expedited check for abused substances. Although Screening is a cost-efficient method to dismiss drug presence in most samples, a positive screen must be substantiated for admissibility in legal contexts. Every sample that tests presumptively positive during Screening requires further verification through secondary confirmation.

Upon receiving a presumptive positive result in Screening, additional hair will be extracted from the collected sample and prepared for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are withdrawn from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other testing methods (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug analysis particularly challenging.

Confirmation of any Screening positive result is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives are cleansed before confirmation as warranted. The complete laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized accordingly to both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation aligning with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests cover drug use extending to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a brief detection span.
• Difficult to deceive: Hair drug tests are nearly impossible to trick, ensuring more precise outcomes.
• Reveals historical consumption: It is capable of displaying a pattern of drug consumption over time, extending beyond just recent use.

Limitations:

• Delayed detection of recent use: It generally takes 5-7 days for drugs to become noticeable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests usually have a higher cost compared to alternative drug testing techniques.
• Outcome variations: Variables like hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug residues in the hair.

Note: Although often termed "hair follicle tests," the analysis itself targets the hair strand rather than the hair follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Cashton, WI Hair testing demonstrates superior detection compared to traditional urine tests. It offers enhanced accuracy and is highly reliable, ensuring a comprehensive check for employers and professionals. Hair tests have a proven track record of detecting substances effectively over a more extended period.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Cashton, WI Hair follicle testing offers an extended detection period, monitoring drug use for up to 90 days. This longer window allows employers to gain an insightful perspective on an individual’s substance use past, ensuring informed decision-making regarding potential hires or current employees.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Cashton, WI Hair follicle tests are known for their resistance to tampering, providing results that both employers and governing authorities can trust. This method minimizes the risk of sample adulteration, delivering unquestionable and reliable outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide and Local Testing Locations in Cashton, WI Our widespread network of testing centers ensures rapid access across the nation, including local services in Cashton, WI, facilitating a straightforward and effortless testing experience. This convenience simplifies the testing process remarkably.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Cashton, WI The straightforward and private nature of ordering, taking, and receiving results from hair follicle testing ensures users' privacy and ease. This confidentiality helps address concerns and fosters a seamless testing encounter.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Cashton, WI Our competitive pricing and rapid result turnaround times offer excellent value, delivering peace of mind for businesses of all sizes. These features highlight both affordability and efficiency in our testing services.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Cashton, WI The precision and pace of hair follicle drug tests are unmatched, offering highly accurate readings on substance use. Their reliability in identifying drug consumption provides peace of mind to both employers and authorities, delivering results swiftly and accurately.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Cashton, WI Utilizing hair follicle tests helps employers adhere to drug-free workplace policies, diminish legal risks, and enhance overall safety. The assurance of compliance and reliable testing fosters a secure and productive working 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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