ETG Alcohol Urine Testing

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For decades, simple urine tests and breathalyzers were used to detect if someone has consumed alcohol recently, but no method was able to answer if one has consumed alcohol in the past 3 to 4 days. This is because alcohol dissipates itself from the system in a matter of hours.

Labs have come up with a new protocol, which is being tagged as the gold standard of alcohol testing for it can tell if someone has consumed alcohol up to 80 hours prior. This latest method works on the concept of Alcohol Biomarkers.

The Alcohol EtG Urine Test is a biomarker test that detects the presence of ethyl glucuronide in the urine samples. Actually, alcohol, when metabolized by the liver, forms ethyl glucuronic acid i.e. when someone consumes alcohol, in the liver, a compound called glucuronic acid reacts with it and forms Ethyl glucuronide as a metabolite. Alcohol dissipates within few hours but EtG particles remains in the system for as long as 80 hours.

This amazing sensitivity makes this method most suitable to be applied in a diverse array of situations to find illegal, long-term alcohol consumption. 

This test is also conducted in the corporate world to profile the alcohol habits, and use of illicit drugs by their prospective employees.

This test can greatly facilitate alcohol detection in those individuals who are legally prohibited from consuming alcohol, either by the law or by their employer.

EtG Urine Testing Benefits:

• Detect recent usage more accurately and for a longer time period compared with standard testing

• Great for abstinence and zero tolerance circumstances, such as monitoring in alcohol treatment programs

• Provide an accurate and reliable indication of alcohol ingestion within the previous 3 to 4 days

• EtG is only detectable when alcohol is ingested and is not produced as a result of alcohol fermentation (medical conditions such as diabetes)

• EtG test function as an early warning system that can identify relapse patterns

• EtG tests can be accurate and reliable when performed by LC/MS/MS on state of the art equipment

• EtG tests can also be run on urine specimens in conjunction with other drug testing methods.

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BAC (Breath Alcohol Content) Breathalyzer Testing

Always make sure to wait at least 15-20 minutes after having anything in your mouth, before submitting to a breathalyzer. For example: mints, chewing gum, cigarettes, mouthwash, soda, water, etc... If this is not done, the results could be inaccurate.

When you drink alcohol, the amount of alcohol in your blood goes up. This is called your blood-alcohol content/level.

When the amount of alcohol in the blood reaches 0.02 - 0.03%, you may feel a relaxing "high".

When that percentage reaches 0.05 - 0.10%, you have reduced muscular coordination, a longer reaction time, and impaired judgement.

Driving and operating machinery under the influence of alcohol is dangerous. A person with an alcohol content/level of 0.08% and above is considered legally intoxicated (drunk) in most states (some states have lower levels than others).

In the United States, it is illegal for anyone to operate a vehicle with a BAC of 0.08% or higher, as studies indicate this amount of alcohol can substantially reduce a person's ability to drive safely. As a result, breathalyzers are designed to calculate a suspected BAC.

Breath testing devices work by estimating a person's BAC based on the amount of alcohol found in his or her breath. In order to do this, the person must blow into a small tube located on the breathalyzer. If the device detects the presence of alcohol, it uses a set ratio to calculate the test subject's BAC. The alcohol content of exhaled air accurately reflect the alcohol content of the blood.

There are a number of variables that can affect a person's BAC reading, for example, breathalyzers assume the amount of alcohol found in a person's mouth is representative of the amount of alcohol in his or her bloodstream. This means that the test can easily pick up traces of alcohol from other substances, such as breath mints, cough syrup, chewing gum, or other products that contain a small amount of alcohol. In such cases, the BAC will be falsely inflated due to the presence of alcohol in the mouth. That is why it is important to wait the required amount of time before submitting to the breathalyzer.

Alcohol PEth Testing

Dried Blood Spots:

Dried blood spot collection is the fastest, most convenient way to test for Phosphatidylethanol (PEth).

PEth is created in red blood cells where it exists as part of the cell membrane. Research suggests a PEth test can differentiate between incidental exposure (hand sanitizer use, etc.) and the intentional use of ethanol. A PEth test in blood provides approximately 2-4 week history of alcohol (ab)use. We offer PEth testing in both dried blood spots. The specimen amount is 5 dried blood spots from a finger prick(s).

Standard collection includes the requisition form for the collection, which includes all necessary bar code stickers to maintain a proper chain-of-custody.

Dried blood spot collection is performed by the individual being tested (the donor) and will be observed by a trained ProResults collection tech. 

PEth is an abnormal phospholipid formed in red blood cells following alcohol exposure. PEth in blood exists as a component of the red cell membrane. PEth is a mid to long-term alcohol biomarker, and a positive result (measuring phosphatidylethanol species 16:0/18:1) is an indication of alcohol exposure during the ~2-4 weeks prior to specimen collection.