Alcohol, Ethyl

Test Code

ALCPOST

Quest Code

443

Preferred Specimen

Whole blood - 1 unopened fluoride oxalate (gray-top) tube

Patient Preparation
Do not use alcohol solutions as skin preparation for drawing specimens. Use non-alcohol solutions such as Betadine® or Zephiran®.

Minimum Volume

0.5 mL

Other Acceptable Specimens

Serum collected in: Red-top tube (no gel) or no additive (royal blue-top) tube • Whole blood collected in: EDTA (lavender-top) tube

Instructions

Do not use alcohol solutions as skin preparation for drawing specimens. Use non-alcohol solutions such as Betadine® or Zephiran®.

Do not open. Keep specimen tightly capped. Prevent exposure to atmosphere.

Transport Container

Fluoride oxalate (gray-top) tube

Transport Temperature

Room temperature

Specimen Stability

Room temperature: 14 days
Refrigerated: 14 days

Methodology
Chromatography

FDA Status
This test was developed and its analytical performance characteristics have been determined by Quest Diagnostics. It has not been cleared or approved by FDA. This assay has been validated pursuant to the CLIA regulations and is used for clinical purposes.

Setup Schedule

Mon-fri

Report Available

2 days

Reference Range

Alcohol, Ethyl mg/dL	None detected
Alcohol, Ethyl g/dL(%)	None detected

Clinical Significance

Ethanol is the most often abused substance whose primary effect on the CNS varies with blood concentration. Not all individuals experience the same effects at a given blood level. Other CNS depressants have an additive effect when taken in combination with ethanol. At high concentrations, ethanol elimination is relatively constant (zero order). Fatal concentration typically exceeds 0.4 g/dL. Blood concentrations of 0.3 g/dL are associated with coma. Ethyl alcohol is present in many medicinal liquids and mouthwashes.

Performing Laboratory

Quest Diagnostics-Pittsburgh Lab

875 Greentree Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15220-3508

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.