Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Plainville, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as an effective means for identifying drug or alcohol consumption. Hair captures a historical record of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the growing hair fibers. Sampling hair near the scalp can offer an approximate three-month detection span for substances like drugs and alcohol. Collecting hair is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches consisting of around 200 hair strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil) from near the scalp provides 100mg, an optimal amount for screening and verification. For tests such as EtG, add-ons, or those exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is suggested. It's advisable to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. When scalp hair cannot be obtained, an equivalent mass of body hair can be used. "Head hair" specifically refers to scalp hair, whereas "body hair" encompasses all other varieties (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory drug testing procedure consists of four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

During Accessioning, the sample undergoes its initial integration into the lab’s system. This incorporates verifying sample seal and shipment integrity, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and entering any supplementary information not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary check for drug abuse indicatives. Though a cost-efficient method to exclude drug use in most cases, positive screens demand confirmation to be court-admissible. Samples with presumptive positives identified in Screening necessitate further verification.

Presumptive positive samples go through additional hair extraction from the main specimen for the Extraction phase. At this stage, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), underscoring why hair analysis is the most complex to execute.

GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques confirm any positive Screening outcomes. Prior to confirmation, all samples suggested positive are cleaned as needed. The entire laboratory cycle, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is examined under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug testing can trace drug use for up to 90 days, unlike shorter spans in urine testing.
• Hard to falsify: Tampering with hair drug tests is highly challenging, ensuring more precise outcomes.
• Historical insight: It reveals a drug usage pattern over time, not just recent intake.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent intake: It takes about 5-7 days for substances to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs compared to alternative testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Often called "hair follicle tests," the test examines the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Plainville, WI, clearly surpasses traditional urine tests due to its superior detection accuracy. Offering a more reliable measure, it reduces false negatives or positives, giving a clearer picture of substance use.

When comparing benefits, hair testing offers unmatched reliability, ensuring a comprehensive assessment over longer periods, something urine tests cannot match in Plainville.

Extended Detection Window

In Plainville, WI, hair follicle testing provides an extensive detection window, observing drug use over nearly three months. This offers employers a comprehensive view of an individual's substance history.

The ability to detect past drug use up to 90 days is a key advantage for employers in Plainville, ensuring a thorough evaluation of substance habits in potential hires or current staff.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Plainville, WI, minimizes the chance of sample adulteration, ensuring reliable results. This method's robustness provides an extra layer of security that other testing methods lack.

The tamper-resistant nature of hair tests in Plainville offers peace of mind, ensuring that results obtained are both legitimate and conclusive, reducing doubt or disputes in the testing process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Across Plainville, WI, and the nation, our testing centers provide convenience with easy access. This ensures hassle-free, prompt testing services whenever needed.

With numerous locations, including those in Plainville, individuals and businesses alike can benefit from the seamless accessibility of our comprehensive testing infrastructure.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our hair follicle testing in Plainville, WI, is distinguished by a simple, confidential process. From ordering to results, privacy and ease are prioritized.

In Plainville, the discreet handling of testing requests underscores our commitment to clients' confidentiality concerns while delivering straightforward usability.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

A cost-effective pricing structure in Plainville, WI, makes hair follicle testing an affordable option. With fast turnaround times, our services cater to businesses of varying sizes seeking value.

The competitive pricing and swift results in Plainville provide excellent value, ensuring companies can confidently rely on our testing capabilities.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The hair follicle drug tests in Plainville, WI, are renowned for their fast, accurate, and reliable results. The testing method's precision is unmatched, making it a preferred choice for detecting substances efficiently and effectively.

The high accuracy of hair follicle tests in Plainville ensures that detection of drug use is done with optimum reliability. Clients can trust the expedient processing of samples for timely and dependable results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Plainville, WI, gain peace of mind with hair follicle testing, ensuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This testing method assists in significantly reducing legal risks.

By opting for hair follicle tests, companies in Plainville enhance workplace safety, reflecting their commitment to maintaining a drug-free environment while managing compliance adeptly.

Drug Testing Near Plainville, WI

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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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