Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Eland, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is now viewed as an effective means for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures biomarkers within the fibers of the growing strand, offering an extended record of substance use. When gathered near the scalp, hair can indicate alcohol and drug usage within roughly the last 90 days. It is easy to collect, hard to manipulate, and convenient to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches in length and containing about 200 strands (comparable in size to a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the recommended quantity for testing and confirmation. For EtG, supplementary tests, or panels beyond ten substances, 150mg of hair is advised. Utilize a jeweler's scale to measure the specimen's weight. If scalp hair isn't available, a comparable amount of body hair might be taken. When discussing head hair, we mean scalp hair specifically, while body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The drug test result processing encompasses four main stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes integrating a sample into a laboratory's system. This process ensures the sample was sealed and transported correctly, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional required data entry missing from a digital chain of custody system.

Screening entails an initial rapid drug use check. While Screening is a cost-effective method for ruling out drug use for most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to be accepted in court. Any samples considered presumptively positive in Screening necessitate a secondary confirmation.

If a sample is presumptively positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original sample for the Extraction process. During this stage, drugs are extracted from hair at a significantly lower concentration than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which makes hair drug screening the most challenging method to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before confirmation when necessary. The full laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and pursuant to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests identify drug consumption for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests, which have a shorter detection period.
• Challenging to deceive: Hair drug tests are difficult to manipulate, enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical pattern insight: These tests reveal a timeline of drug usage, beyond just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Limited recent use detection: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days following use.
• Costs: Hair drug tests typically incur higher expenses compared to alternative testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth differences can impact metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: The term "hair follicle tests" is a misnomer; the analysis targets the hair shaft, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Eland, WI, hair follicle testing outshines urine testing due to its superior detection accuracy. Where urine tests might miss, hair tests offer a comprehensive analysis, providing a clearer picture of substance use. This method boasts a longer detection span, and unmatched reliability, making it the preferred choice over traditional urine testing.

Extended Detection Window

Holding a distinct advantage in Eland, WI, hair follicle tests provide a prolonged detection window, capturing drug use history up to 90 days. This extended timeframe delivers a broad understanding of an individual's past usage, serving employers well in substance history evaluations of potential and current employees.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

With its tamper-resistant nature, hair follicle testing in Eland, WI, guarantees sample integrity. Unlike other test types that might be vulnerable to tampering, hair tests provide results that are difficult, if not impossible, to adulterate. This ensures stakeholders receive trustworthy and definitive results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Located in Eland, WI, our testing services boast convenient access due to our vast network of nationwide centers. This wide reach ensures clients experience testing that is quick, seamless, and free from hassles, meeting varied needs efficiently and effectively.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Eland, WI, is simple and confidential. From ordering to testing and receiving results, each step is designed to maintain privacy and ease. This ensures individuals have a worry-free experience while accessing crucial information securely.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Eland, WI, hair follicle testing is provided at competitive prices with fast turnaround times. This ensures excellent value for businesses of any scale, ensuring effective budgeting and timely access to critical information with reduced waiting periods.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Eland, WI, are lauded for their fast, precise, and dependable outcomes. The ability to accurately pinpoint substance usage provides unmatched precision in assessment. Compared to traditional methods, hair testing accelerates detection timelines, ensuring swift and reliable results for all stakeholders involved.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Eland, WI, gain compliance assurance and peace of mind with hair follicle testing, aligning with drug-free workplace policies. Such tests minimize legal risks and amplify safety, fostering a secure workplace environment by effectively addressing and managing substance use concerns.

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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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