Alcohol, Serum (Ethanol)

Test Code

LAB46

Alias/See Also

Ethanol

CPT Codes
80321

Instructions

"
Routine venipuncture. Do not prepare venipuncture site with any alcohol-containing swab. Use nonalcohol germicidal solution to cleanse skin.
Collect one 5ml green/yellow top lithium heparin tube or one 4.5ml light green top (heparin) tube. Gray top (sodium fluoride) tube is recommended for medicolegal specimen and prolonged storage.
"

Specimen Stability

Room temperature, <4 hours; stable <48 hours if refrigerated, frozen 1 month

Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)

Insufficient quantity; skin cleaned with alcohol

Methodology
" Enzyme oxidation - dry film "

Setup Schedule

Daily/STAT

Report Available

"
Within 24 hours
STAT: within 1 hour
"

Limitations

Certain substances can cross-react or interfere with this enzyme oxidation-dry film assay and may give positive results for ethanol in the absence of ethanol. These substances include ethylene glycol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, metronidazole, methotrexate, and extremely high levels of lactic acid or lactate dehydrogenase. Suspect results should be confirmed at a reference laboratory by gas chromatography.

Reference Range

"
<10 mg/dL
"

Clinical Significance

"Ethanol is the most commonly encountered toxic substance. The
measurement of ethanol is used in the diagnosis and treatment of alcohol
intoxication and poisoning. Chronic ethanol use has been linked to liver
disease, high blood pressure,cardiac disease, and birth defects. Acute
ethanol intoxication can result in coma and death."

The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.