Ethanol, Whole Blood

Also known as: Alcohol, Blood, Blood Alcohol Level, Ethyl Alcohol, Blood

Clinical Use

Use

Quantitation of alcohol level for medical or legal purposes; test unconscious patients; used to diagnose alcohol intoxication and determine appropriate therapy; detect alcoholism and to monitor ethanol treatment for methanol intoxication. Must be tested as possible cause of coma of unknown etiology since alcohol intoxication may mimic diabetic coma, cerebral trauma, and drug overdose.

Special Instructions

Not provided.

Limitations

This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by Labcorp. It has not been cleared or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Ethanol is absorbed rapidly from the GI tract. Peak blood levels usually occur within 40 to 70 minutes on an empty stomach. Food in the stomach can decrease the absorption of alcohol. Ethanol is metabolized by the liver to acetaldehyde. Once peak blood ethanol levels are reached, disappearance is linear; a 70 kg man metabolizes 7−10 g of alcohol/hour (15±5 mg/dL/hour). The urine:blood ratio is considered to be about 1.35:1 but is quite variable. The average saliva:blood ratio is 1:20. Symptoms of intoxication in the presence of low alcohol levels could indicate a serious acute medical problem requiring immediate attention. The half-lives and effectiveness of certain drugs (e.g., barbiturates) are increased in the presence of ethanol.

Test Details

Methodology

Mass Spectrometry

Biomarkers

Ethanol

Analyte

Ethanol

Concentration / Level • Quantitative (Continuous) (e.g., copies/mL, % expression)

LOINC Codes

Order Codes

56478-1 - Ethanol Bld GC-mCnc

Result Codes

56478-1 - Ethanol Bld GC-mCnc

Result Turnaround Time

3-5 days

Specimen

Whole Blood

Volume

7 mL

Minimum Volume

0.5 mL

Container

Gray-top (sodium fluoride) tube (preferred) or red-top tube. Submit original unopened tube. Do not centrifuge and separate serum if a red-top tube is submitted.