Blood-tests Explained


Disclaimer:

This website is intended to assist with patient education and should not be used as a diagnostic, treatment or prescription service, forum or platform. Always consult your own healthcare practitioner for a more personalised and detailed opinion

Ethanol


At a Glance

Why Get Tested?

To determine if a person has consumed ethanol and to measure the amount of ethanol present

When to Get Tested?

When someone has signs and symptoms that suggest intoxication or ethanol poisoning; when a person is suspected of violating drinking-related laws, or as part of a drug testing panel

Sample Required?

A blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm, a urine sample, or sometimes a breath sample; rarely, saliva is collected. Blood, urine, and saliva samples must be sent to a laboratory for analysis.A breath sample is analyzed immediately on site using a breathalyzer.

Test Preparation Needed?

None

The Test Sample

What is being tested?

Ethanol is the intoxicating ingredient in alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and liquor. This test measures the amount of ethanol in the blood, urine, breath, or saliva.

When ethanol is consumed, the gastrointestinal tract absorbs it. Ethanol is then carried throughout the body in the blood. The body eliminates small amounts of ethanol in the urine or from the lungs upon exhalation, but the liver processes (metabolizes) most ethanol.

The liver can process about one drink an hour, with one drink being defined as the amount of ethanol in 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of whisky. A person who drinks more than one drink an hour will have an increased level of ethanol in the blood. However, certain factors affect the metabolism of alcohol, especially the amount of food consumed prior to and during drinking. The degree of a person's intoxication can vary with age, gender, weight, and whether he or she has taken other drugs that interact with alcohol.

Drinking alcoholic beverages faster than the liver can process can result in an elevated level of ethanol in the blood. This leads to signs and symptoms of intoxication such as bloodshot eyes, flushed face, slurred speech, slow response to questions or comments, impaired judgment, decreased motor skills, drowsiness or falling asleep, and/or vomiting.

With a very high blood ethanol, more serious signs and symptoms of toxicity may appear such as confusion, stupor, staggering, irregular or slow breathing, loss of consciousness, seizures, and low body temperature (hypothermia). A very high blood ethanol can be fatal.

Long-term, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of several medical problems such as liver disease, cardiovascular problems, depression and anxiety. (Read more about this in the article on Alcoholism.)

How is the sample collected for testing?

A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in the arm. A breath sample is collected by blowing into a tube or balloon.Urine samples are collected in plastic containers. Sometimes a single urine sample is collected and sometimes two separate samples may be collected with the first discarded and the second collected after a measured time.Saliva samples are often collected from the mouth using a swab.

Is any test preparation needed to ensure the quality of the sample?

No test preparation is needed.

The Test