Hair Follicle Drug Testing - La Follette, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair tests are increasingly acknowledged as an effective means to identify drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a long-term record of alcohol and drug usage by embedding biomarkers within the hair's growing strands. When sampled near the scalp, hair can offer an approximate 90-day detection span for alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and convenient to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches of approximately 200 hair strands (around the thickness of a #2 pencil) from the scalp supplies 100mg of hair, which is ideal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of hair is advisable. Using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample is suggested. Should scalp hair be unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair is an option. When discussing head hair, we mean scalp hair specifically, while body hair includes all other hair types (such as facial or axillary hair).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning entails the initial entry of a sample into a laboratory system. This step ensures the sample’s seal and shipping integrity, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and involves any needed additional data input absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides a preliminary evaluation for drugs. Although Screening efficiently eliminates drug presence in most samples, a positive result needs confirmation for it to be valid in legal settings. Presumptive positives in Screening necessitate a secondary confirmation.

Should the Screening stage yield a presumptive positive, more hair is taken from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. Drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations than with other tests (such as urine or oral fluids), making hair drug screening particularly challenging.

Any positive Screening result is confirmed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation as needed. The complete laboratory procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection window: Hair drug tests can identify drug use up to 90 days, unlike the shorter-lived detection window of urine tests.
• Difficulty to cheat: Cheating a hair drug test is extremely difficult, enhancing result accuracy.
• Provides historical data: It delivers a pattern of drug use over time, not merely recent activity.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent use: Detection requires about 5-7 days post-drug use to appear in hair.
• Cost: Hair drug tests typically cost more than other drug testing techniques.
• Variations in results: Variations such as hair color and personal hair growth rates can influence drug metabolite concentrations within hair.

Note: While often called "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in La Follette, WI, surpasses urine tests in several aspects. Detection accuracy and reliability are the key strengths of hair testing. While urine tests are traditional, hair testing delivers a more comprehensive overview. The enhanced accuracy assures stakeholders of credible outcomes, making it advantageous for screening processes.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window of hair follicle testing in La Follette, WI, offers a substantial advantage. Unlike conventional methods, this test can trace substance use up to 90 days. Such a long detection period equips employers with detailed insights into an individual's substance history, aiding in making informed decisions about hiring and ongoing employment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in La Follette, WI, are recognized for their tamper-resistant nature. These tests significantly minimize the risk of adulteration which is common in other testing methods. The reliability of hair analysis ensures that the results remain unquestionable, providing both employers and individuals with certainty and confidence in the outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient testing locations are available nationwide, including in La Follette, WI. Our comprehensive network of testing centers guarantees easy, quick, and hassle-free access to hair follicle testing services. This extensive reach ensures that individuals can readily find a facility near them.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in La Follette, WI, is simple and confidential. From ordering tests to receiving results, each step prioritizes user privacy and convenience. Clients can navigate the process seamlessly, knowing their information is secure, making the entire experience stress-free and accessible.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In La Follette, WI, we offer affordable pricing and fast test result turnaround times. Companies of all sizes benefit from our competitive pricing structures, ensuring value for money. This approach provides a cost-effective solution without compromising on quality or speed, assuring businesses of quick and dependable outcomes.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In La Follette, WI, hair follicle drug tests offer fast, accurate, and reliable results. This method excels in providing precise substance detection. Through meticulous analysis, it ensures high accuracy in identifying substance use. The speed at which results are delivered makes it a preferred choice for both individuals and organizations.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in La Follette, WI, find peace of mind with hair follicle testing. This method helps comply with drug-free workplace policies, thereby reducing legal risks. Ensuring a safe and secure work environment through reliable drug testing practices not only boosts compliance but also promotes overall workplace safety.

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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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