nail bed testing for drugs

zarco52218 April 30, 2023 Comment

Usingfingernail samples for toxicological analysis and pharmacokineticstudies has been around for decades. However, many people do not have as much experience interpreting the results as they do hair and urine and there is confusion of whether to use a clipping or scrapings. One of the most frequent questions to thelaboratory concerns the window of detection. How far back does the fingernail test go? To answer this, we need todiscuss the anatomy of the fingernail and how compounds are incorporated into the nail.

Nail is keratinized protein very similar to hair. It is porous and compounds become entrapped and bind within the structure. For this discussion, we need to know 4 anatomical features: the germinal matrix, the nail plate, the nail bed, and the free edge (Figure 1). The nail originates at the germinal matrix and grows outward toward the fingertip. The hardened material forming the nail plate grows across the nail bed, which is rich in capillary blood flow (this causes the pinkish color to your fingernails). As the nail grows in length, material is added from underneath such that the nail lengthens and thickens, as it grows outward toward the fingertip. Once the nail plate erupts from the nail bed and extends past the end of the fingertip, the part that extends over the edge of the fingertip is called the free edge. The free edge is the piece that you clip when clipping your nails. The entire process takes up to 6 months depending on the health of the individual.

Compounds are incorporated into fingernail by four main routes. The first route of incorporation, just like hair, isenvironmental exposure. If someone is handling drug or around someone smoking drug, the drug gets on the nail and works its way into the pores and binds to the keratinized protein. The second route of incorporation is the sweat and oil of the skin surrounding the nail deposit drug and drug metabolite into the nail.

Nail Drug Testing Services At Best Prices In India

The third route of incorporation is the blood flow in the germinal matrix deposits drug and drug metabolite into the nail when it is formed. Lastly, drug and drug metabolite are deposited to the underside of the nail plate by the blood flow in the nail bed. These four very different routes of incorporation are superimposed on top of each other rendering a very complex drug history picture.

In conclusion, for fingernail clippings there is a potential for a detection window of up to6 months. Just like hair and urine, a negative result is not proof of abstinence, just the lack of evidence. A positive fingernail result for most drugs may be explained by drug use at any point during the 6 months prior to the collection. Being that the clipping contains the entire drug history of the growth of the nail, a nail scraping is not necessary.As a leading provider of drug and alcohol testing the DNA Legal forensic labs have been testing nail samples for over 20 years.

With a primary use in criminal matters - and costing thousands of pounds - DNA Legal have recognised the need for alternative sample types and can now bring this expertise to the Family Courts at prices approved by the Legal Aid Agency.

Tox Tuesday: Fingernail Drug Testing

Like hair, fingernails are made of keratin. They provide stable samples that are simple to both collect and transport. Offering a longer window of detection, a fingernail test provides a 3-6 month history of drug and/or alcohol abuse.

If the donor has limited head and body hair then nail testing may be the answer. As with body hair it is not possible to provide a month-by-month breakdown from fingernail testing but you are provided with a clear overview.

As the fingernail grows, substances (drugs and their metabolites) pass from the blood vessels located directly below the nail into the keratin fibers where they are trapped.

Drug Tests In India

Fingernails are four times thicker than the typical strand of hair, which means you can often capture more of a substance than within hair.

The metabolites are locked into the keratin fibers along the entire length of the nail providing a detection period of between 3-6 months after drug or alcohol abuse.

To ensure a simple and effective testing process fingernails are tested in panels ranging from 9 - 17 drugs. Within the panels the following drugs are tested:

Fingernail Drug Testing

The detection of alcohol abuse using fingernails provides a reliable alternative to head or body hair. The EtG (Ethyl Glucuronide) alcohol markers are trapped in the fingernail as it grows.