Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Erin Prairie, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now recognized as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair serves as a historical record of alcohol and drug use by embedding biomarkers in the fiber of the growing strands. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer almost a 3-month detection period for both alcohol and drugs. Collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and shipping is uncomplicated.

A 1.5-inch piece comprising around 200 hair strands (roughly the size of a #2 pencil) close to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for analysis and verification. For EtG, extra analyses, or tests beyond 10 panels, a sample of 150mg is suggested. It's advisable to measure the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair cannot be collected, a comparable quantity of body hair can be used. By head hair, we mean scalp hair exclusively. Body hair includes all other hair types (face, underarm, etc.).

Process Overview

The four primary steps in laboratory analysis for drug test results include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial integration of the sample into a lab’s system. This step confirms that the sample was properly sealed and dispatched, assigns it a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and concludes any supplementary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody framework.

Screening involves an initial fast assessment for substance abuse. Though Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug use in most samples, a positive screen needs confirmation for legal proceedings. Samples with a presumptive positive result during Screening will require a secondary confirmation.

If a sample shows presumptive positives during Screening, further hair is taken from the original specimen and readied for Extraction. Drugs are extracted from hair at notably lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), rendering hair drug screening the most challenging process to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is done using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives are washed before confirmation as necessary. The laboratory operation from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation guidelines.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug testing can identify drug use for a duration of up to 90 days, which is longer than the window for urine tests.
• Hard to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test proves very challenging, resulting in more reliable outcomes.
• Offers historical insight: It reveals a drug use pattern over time, not just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent use: Drugs require roughly 5-7 days to become evident in hair.
• Expensive: Hair drug testing usually costs more compared to alternative drug testing strategies.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and personal differences in hair growth impact drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Despite the term "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing surpasses traditional urine tests in Erin Prairie, WI, by providing superior detection capabilities and reliability. While urine tests detect recent drug use, hair tests offer a broader overview, capturing drug history over an extended time frame. This makes hair testing invaluable for employers and enforcement agencies who require thorough insights into substance use.

Extended Detection Window

With a detection window of up to 90 days, hair follicle testing in Erin Prairie, WI, offers a detailed history of drug use. This extended period allows employers and agencies to gain a comprehensive view of an individual’s substance history, not just recent use. This makes hair testing an excellent tool for evaluating long-term substance use.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Erin Prairie, WI, are designed to be tamper-resistant, minimizing the risk of sample adulteration significantly. The stringent collection process and analysis provide results that are dependable and difficult to question, ensuring the integrity of the testing method against tampering attempts.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Erin Prairie, WI, the accessibility of our nationwide testing centers ensures convenience for those needing hair follicle testing. With numerous local and national sites, testing services are within easy reach, offering a hassle-free experience for quick and effective testing processes.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Erin Prairie, WI, is both simple and confidential. From ordering the test to receiving the results, privacy is prioritized, ensuring a comfortable experience for all involved. This straightforward process caters to privacy concerns, making the testing journey user-friendly.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Erin Prairie, WI, our hair follicle testing offers competitive pricing alongside fast turnaround times. Businesses of any size can benefit from our cost-efficient solutions that deliver excellent value without compromising on the speed and accuracy of results, keeping companies informed promptly.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Erin Prairie, WI, hair follicle drug tests stand out for their speed and precision. They offer highly accurate detections of substance use, ensuring reliable outcomes. This method is favored for its rapid processing times, allowing for prompt decision-making and minimizing delays in the testing process.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Erin Prairie, WI, hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free workplace policies, mitigating legal risks and enhancing safety. This method not only adheres to stringent regulations but also provides peace of mind by upholding a secure work environment free from substance influence.

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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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