Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Reeseville, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying substance and alcohol use. Hair retains a long-term record of drugs and alcohol by incorporating biomarkers into the hair shaft as it grows. When collected near the scalp, it can offer up to roughly a three-month window for detecting alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to collect, relatively tough to tamper with, and simple to mail.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches of about 200 hair strands (comparable to the thickness of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will yield 100mg, which is the optimal amount for both screening and confirming. For EtG, additional tests, or panels above 10, 150mg of hair is advised. It is suggested to weigh the sample on a jeweler's scale. If scalp hair is not available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. Note that head hair refers specifically to scalp hair. Body hair includes all other hair types (like facial or axillary hair).

Process Overview

Four primary phases are involved in processing a drug test result in the lab: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the initial phase of bringing a sample into the lab's processing system. This step ensures the sample was correctly sealed and transported, assigns a LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any data entry missing from an electronic custody system.

Screening is a preliminary assessment checking for abuse substances. Although an efficient strategy to eliminate drug use for most specimens, a positive screening requires confirmation to be admissible in court. Samples flagged as presumptive positives in Screening need secondary confirmation.

Should a sample test presumptively positive during Screening, more hair is extracted from the specimen and prepared for Extraction. This stage extracts drugs from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to methods like urine or oral fluid, highlighting why hair screening is challenging.

Confirmation of a positive screening is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Before confirmation, all presumptive positive samples are washed if necessary. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is conducted under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection span: Hair tests can trace drug usage up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter detection period.
• Hard to deceive: It is extremely challenging to manipulate a hair drug test, ensuring higher accuracy.
• Historical insight: It offers a detailed timeline of drug usage rather than just immediate usage.

Limitations:

• Doesn't detect recent consumption: Drugs take around 5-7 days to show up in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally cost more than other testing techniques.
• Result discrepancies: Aspects like hair color and growth rate variations can alter drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Commonly called "hair follicle tests", these tests analyze the hair shaft, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Reeseville, WI Hair testing surpasses traditional urine tests in accuracy and reliability. While urine tests are limited to recent use, hair tests maintain a detection window up to 90 days, making them superior for long-term substance use monitoring, giving a clear picture of an individual's habits.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Reeseville, WI Hair follicle testing excels in its ability to trace drug use for a significantly extended period—up to 90 days. This gives employers a thorough overview of compliance with substance-free policies over time, ensuring a deeper insight into an individual's history.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Reeseville, WI Hair follicle tests greatly diminish the likelihood of sample tampering. Their design ensures reliable, indisputable results, safeguarding the integrity of the testing process and maintaining trust in the outcomes received by employers and individuals alike.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Reeseville, WI With numerous testing centers across the nation, including in Reeseville, accessibility is assured. Our locations provide swift and convenient testing services, eliminating the hassle and ensuring a streamlined process for all testing needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Reeseville, WI The entire testing process is designed to be simple and private. From ordering to testing and receiving results, confidentiality is maintained, addressing any privacy concerns and ensuring ease of use for every participant involved in the drug testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Reeseville, WI Competitive pricing and swift turnaround times characterize our drug testing services. We offer excellent value, accommodating the needs of companies, regardless of size, providing assurance and ease with our quick and reliable service.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Reeseville, WI Hair follicle drug tests offer unmatched precision, delivering fast and accurate results. Their high level of accuracy ensures dependable detection of substance use, providing reliable insights for employers on an individual's drug history, thus enhancing decision-making processes.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Reeseville, WI Utilizing hair follicle testing aligns with workplace drug-free policies. It significantly minimizes legal risks while promoting workplace safety. Employers benefit from peace of mind, knowing their commitment to a safe and compliant environment is upheld.

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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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