Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Maple Bluff, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has gained recognition as a formidable resource for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a comprehensive timeline of alcohol and drug usage by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the developing hair strand. When clipped near the scalp, hair can reveal up to a 3-month detection period for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively tamper-resistant, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch sample, consisting of around 200 hairs (about the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp, yields 100mg of hair, the ideal quantity for screening and validation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, 150mg of the sample is advised. It is recommended to weigh the specimen using a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. The term head hair refers specifically to scalp hair. Body hair includes all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The four essential stages in processing a drug test outcome in a laboratory include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning encompasses the preliminary handling of a sample into a laboratory's framework. This stage verifies proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional data entry absent in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails a preliminary swift inspection for drugs of abuse. Screening is an economical method to exclude drug usage in most samples; however, a favorable screen must be confirmed for legal admissibility. Samples that test presumptively positive in Screening necessitate a secondary verification.

If the Screening phase yields a presumptive positive, extra hair is extracted from the initial sample for the Extraction phase. At this point, drugs are retrieved from hair at far lower concentrations than in alternative procedures (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening remains a challenging methodology.

Positive screening results are substantiated through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, any samples testing presumptively positive undergo washing. The complete laboratory progression from Accessioning to Confirmation adheres to both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation standards ISO / IEC 17025.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug consumption for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests feature a shorter detection duration.
• Hard to falsify: It is exceedingly challenging to manipulate a hair drug test, ensuring greater accuracy of results.
• Provides usage pattern: It can depict drug consumption trends over time, beyond immediate use.

Limitations:

• Lacks detection of recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately after 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically cost more than other drug testing approaches.
• Result variability: Hair color and individual growth variations can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: While often termed "hair follicle tests," the assessment examines the hair strand itself and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Maple Bluff, WI, outshines traditional urine tests due to its superior accuracy and reliability. The detection window is significantly extended, ensuring greater exposure to potential substance use.

Through a more comprehensive detection range and reliable outcome, hair testing offers an indispensable advantage over urine tests in catching substance use errors.

Extended Detection Window

In Maple Bluff, WI, the extended detection window of hair follicle testing provides a look at drug use up to 90 days prior, offering employers a broader understanding of an individual's substance history.

Employers benefit from hair testing's ability to cover an extended period, helping them avoid potentially harmful hires by reviewing up to three months of substance involvement.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Maple Bluff, WI's hair follicle tests significantly curb tampering risks, delivering irrefutable and trustworthy results. Their method reduces possibilities for adulteration to provide precise outcomes.

This robust testing nature makes it a preferred choice in environments where reliability and authenticity are non-negotiable.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Maple Bluff, WI, benefits from Accredited Drug Testing's widespread locations nationwide, presenting a convenient, easy avenue for quick access to essential testing services.

Both local and nationwide centers ensure that the screening process is hassle-free, swift, and focused on client ease.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Maple Bluff, WI, the drug testing process is streamlined for simplicity and confidentiality. From ordering to result acquisition, every step is catered to respect privacy and facilitate user-friendly experiences.

This approach minimizes concerns regarding privacy while simplifying procedures to accommodate seamless interaction for all involved parties.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our dedicated service in Maple Bluff, WI, provides affordable hair follicle testing options coupled with swift turnaround times, proving advantageous for companies looking to maximize value.

Through competitive pricing and quick result delivery, businesses of all sizes can balance budgetary considerations with the demand for reliable drug testing.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Maple Bluff, WI, hair follicle drug tests provide results with exceptional speed and accuracy. Their precision ensures substance use detection is reliable, offering clarity where traditional methods may falter.

Fast and accurate, hair follicle testing captures detailed substance use data, giving both employers and individuals trustworthy insights.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For Maple Bluff, WI-based employers, hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free workplace policies, reducing legal challenges while enhancing workplace security.

Through reliable testing, establishments achieve peace of mind, fostering positive environments where policy adherence is not just maintained, but reinforced.

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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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