Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Dickeyville, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is now recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair serves as a record of prolonged substance use by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. With collection near the scalp, hair can provide a detection window for alcohol and drugs lasting up to roughly three months. Hair samples are easy to collect, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch sample consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, a specimen of 150mg is suggested. Using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen is advisable. Should scalp hair be unavailable, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be collected. When mentioning head hair, we are solely referring to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result encompasses four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the preliminary processing of a sample into the laboratory’s framework. This process verifies the proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigns an arbitrary LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any further data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening consists of an initial quick evaluation for drugs of abuse. While Screening provides an economical approach to exclude drug use in most samples, court-admissible results necessitate confirmation of a positive screen. Samples that test presumptively positive during Screening mandate a secondary confirmation.

If Screening yields a presumptive positive, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen for Extraction preparation. This stage involves extracting drugs from hair at a significantly reduced concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which explains why hair drug screening is considered the most challenging technique to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positive results are washed as necessary before confirmation. The full laboratory procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is reviewed in alignment with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug testing can identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine testing, which has a shorter detection period.
• High difficulty in evasion: Evading detection in a hair drug test is extremely challenging, thus enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical usage data: It provides a timeline of drug use patterns rather than only recent activity.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: It takes roughly 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests tend to be more costly than alternative testing methods.
• Result variations: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth variations can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Though commonly called "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand, not the underlying follicle.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why choose hair follicle testing over traditional urine tests in Dickeyville, WI? Primarily, hair testing ensures superior detection accuracy and reliability.
Advantages Over Urine Tests
Hair tests offer a broad detection window and are less susceptible to tampering, ensuring truthful data. They provide insights into long-term usage rather than just recent activity.

Extended Detection Window

In Dickeyville, WI, hair follicle testing excels in revealing drug use over extended periods, up to 90 days. This method offers employers a detailed view of an individual's substance history.
Extended Detection Window
By securing data beyond recent use, it supports informed decisions, aiding in comprehensive workforce assessments.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The reliability of hair follicle tests in Dickeyville, WI, lies in their resistance to tampering. They minimize the chance of sample alteration, assuring trustworthy outcomes.
Resistance to Tampering
This testing method provides indisputable results, emphasizing its credibility and acceptance by courts and workplace policies alike.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Providing convenient testing locations, Dickeyville, WI, benefits from our extensive network of centers. Accessing testing services is straightforward, with facilities nationwide.
Accessible Testing Centers
Our locations guarantee efficient service, supporting communities with quick and stress-free testing experiences.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Dickeyville, WI, the hair follicle testing process is simple and confidential. Ordering, testing, and receiving results are handled with utmost privacy and ease.
Ease of Use
From initiation to conclusion, the testing is designed to be user-friendly, ensuring a smooth process while safeguarding individual privacy.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering affordable pricing and prompt turnaround, Dickeyville, WI, enjoys competitive hair follicle testing rates. Businesses of all sizes appreciate the value and reliability of our services.
Cost-Effectiveness
With fast response times, our testing service stands as a budget-friendly, dependable choice for companies nationwide.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Dickeyville, WI, hair follicle drug testing stands out for its swift, precise, and reliable outcomes. Known for its high accuracy, it efficiently detects substance use, providing dependable results.
Speed & Accuracy
The ability to trace drug usage quickly ensures real-time insights into an individual's habits. Hair tests consistently surpass other methods in result precision.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

In Dickeyville, WI, employers gain compliance and peace of mind through hair follicle testing. Ensuring alignment with drug-free workplace policies reduces legal risks and enhances safety.
Compliance Benefits
Hair testing preserves workplace integrity and promotes a culture of health, contributing to overall productivity and well-being.

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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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