Hair Follicle Drug Testing - La Grange, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly regarded as an effective means for spotting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair strands encapsulate a timeline of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair shaft. When harvested near the scalp, hair can reveal a detection window of approximately three months for alcohol and other drugs. Hair collection is easy, somewhat tamper-resistant, and straightforward to ship.

Collecting a 1.5-inch section from around 200 hair strands (roughly the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the optimal sample for initial testing and verification. For EtG, added tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, a specimen mass of 150mg is advised. It's best to measure the specimen using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair cannot be procured, an equivalent quantity of body hair may be used. When mentioning head hair, it specifically refers to scalp hair. Body hair references all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The key stages in laboratory processing of a drug test include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the introductory processing of a sample in a laboratory's system. This process confirms that the sample was adequately sealed and delivered, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any supplementary data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides an initial rapid review for drugs of abuse. While Screening is an economical measure to dismiss drug use in most samples, positive screening results must be confirmed for court admissibility. Any samples that test presumptively positive in Screening require additional verification.

Presumptive positives in the Screening stage necessitate pulling more hair from the initial sample for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted from the hair at much lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most complex methodology to execute.

Confirmation for any positive screening result is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples presumed positive undergo washing before confirmation as necessary. The complete laboratory operation from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under 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 tests can identify drug use up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter detection timeframe.
• Hard to manipulate: It is challenging to falsify a hair drug test, enhancing result accuracy.
• Offers usage history: It can track a pattern of drug consumption over time, not just recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot capture recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair only after about 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically cost more than other testing methods.
• Variable outcomes: Attributes such as hair color and individual hair growth rates can influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: While commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually examines the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In La Grange, WI, adopting hair follicle testing over urine testing provides clear benefits. The superior detection accuracy and reliability of hair tests outperform traditional urine tests, offering a robust mechanism to detect drugs and ensuring that no prior use is left undetected.

Extended Detection Window

In La Grange, WI, hair follicle testing allows employers to view an individual's drug use history over a much longer span, up to 90 days. This extended detection window ensures a comprehensive background check on employees’ substance use, offering a clearer understanding of potential candidates.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

La Grange, WI residents can trust hair follicle tests for their tamper-resistant nature. Unlike other methods, these tests significantly lower the risk of sample tampering. Reliable results are obtained, providing peace of mind and assured accuracy in drug testing.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Hair follicle testing is conveniently accessible through our widespread network of centers, including in La Grange, WI. Our nationwide facilities simplify the testing process, offering quick, easy, and unobstructed access to essential drug screening services for all individuals.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process of ordering, taking, and receiving results from hair follicle tests in La Grange, WI is straightforward and discreet. We ensure confidentiality and ease at every step, addressing any privacy concerns and providing seamless service for all participants.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable pricing alongside rapid turnaround times make hair follicle testing an advantageous choice for companies in La Grange, WI. Our competitive rates deliver superior value, ensuring organizations of any size can efficiently manage screening without financial strain.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The efficiency of hair follicle testing is unmatched due to its fast and accurate results, pivotal for businesses in La Grange, WI. Hair follicle tests have proven to have superior accuracy in detecting substance use compared to older methods of testing, like urine tests, ensuring no substance use goes unnoticed within an extended period.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in La Grange, WI, using hair follicle testing promotes compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This method aids businesses in minimizing legal risks while enhancing workplace safety, ensuring a healthy and responsible 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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