Ethanol In Serum

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Contents 1 Reference-interval 2 Principle 3 Clinical-significance 4 Increases 5 Specimen 6 More General Terms 7 References

Reference-interval

• Not applicable.

Principle

• The ALC pack is used to quantitatively measure ethyl alcohol in serum, plasma, & supernatants from precipitated whole blood, & to qualitatively detect ethyl alcohol in urine. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde, with the simultaneous reduction of nicotinamide- adenine dinucleotide (NAD). An alkaline pH & an aldehyde trapping agent force the reaction to one mole of NADH for each mole of alcohol present. The absorbance due to NADH (and thus the alcohol concentration) is determined using a two-filter (340-383 nm) endpoint technique.

Clinical-significance

• The ALC pack is used in the DuPont ACA to quantitatively measure ethyl alcohol in serum, plasma, & supernatants from precipitated whole blood. It is used to assess the physiological & psychological effects of ethanol.
  
• 80 mg/dL or 0.08% is legal level of intoxication.
• Ethanol metabolism: 15-30 mg/dL/ hr.

Increases

• alcohol intoxication

Specimen

• When collecting blood alcohol, use a non-alcohol germicidal solution to cleanse the skin. The specimen tubes should be completely filled. Serum or plasma should be removed from the erythrocytes & either analyzed promptly or stored under refrigeration.
  
• If reusable containers, syringes, & needles are employed, they must not be cleaned or stored with alcohol or other volatile solvents.
  
• Blood specimens should be kept tightly stoppered & cannot be stored for more than 14 days prior to analysis.

More General Terms

• drug of abuse test

References

1. ACA IV Discrete Clinical Analyzer Instrument Manual, Volume 1: Operation, DuPont Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1984.
2. ACA IV Discrete Clinical Analyzer Instrument Manual, Volume 3B: Chemistry, DuPont Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1984.

ethanol in serum