Blood alcohol test: Indications, how to perform

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Post by Master - Doctor Do Thi Hoang Ha - Doctor of Biochemistry, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

1. What is a blood alcohol test?

Alcoholic beverages (including alcohol) contain ethanol. Ethanol loaded into the body will cause the active substance acetaldehyde to increase and accumulate in the blood, which is very toxic to the body, affecting physical strength, thinking ability, intelligence, and working ability. Among the active metabolites of alcohol, acetaldehyde is the most toxic because of its ability to cause DNA mutations and cancer, especially esophageal cancer. In some people, when acetaldehyde builds up in the blood, it causes hot flashes, flushing, vomiting, and heart palpitations.
After a person drinks alcohol, Ethanol moves quickly from the digestive tract - mainly the stomach - and is absorbed into the bloodstream. Blood alcohol levels continue to rise for 30 to 90 minutes after drinking, peaking usually around an hour. If you drink alcohol with food, the food in the stomach will increase the time it takes for the blood alcohol concentration to reach this level.
About 90% of alcohol is broken down in the liver, the rest is eliminated from the body through urine and breathing. The liver can only process the equivalent of 354ml of beer, 148ml of wine or 44ml of whiskey per hour. If a person drinks alcohol faster than his or her liver can handle it, it causes a feeling of intoxication, which depresses the central nervous system. Saying leads to behavioral changes and impaired judgment. The effects of alcohol can vary from person to person depending on age, weight, food intake before drinking, and a number of other factors.
The main blood alcohol test is to measure ethanol. Breath alcohol testers are often used in quick testing of vehicle drivers' alcohol levels. However, this measurement is not as accurate as measuring blood alcohol concentration.

2. What is a blood alcohol test for?

Blood alcohol test can be used for the following purposes:
2.1. Testing the blood alcohol concentration of road users In the US, the blood alcohol concentration limit is 0.08% (0.08 g/dL, 80 mg/dL or 17 mmol/L) for people from 21 years and over. People under the age of 21 who use alcohol are not allowed to participate in traffic.
2.2. Which subjects are tested for blood alcohol concentration? Blood alcohol testing may be ordered for drivers suspected of being intoxicated or exhibiting signs of intoxication such as:
Difficulty balancing Slurred speech Slow reflexes Nausea and vomiting Mood swings Decreased Judgment In addition, blood alcohol testing is also indicated in cases of suspected alcohol poisoning with the following symptoms:
Ambiguity Irregular breathing Convulsions Low body temperature 2.3.Other cases order blood alcohol test Check blood alcohol concentration in the community. Check the blood alcohol concentration of patients who are assigned to abstain from alcohol during treatment. Check blood alcohol levels in people with alcohol poisoning, which can be life-threatening if alcohol levels rise to a very high threshold. Note: Teens have a lower alcohol threshold and are more susceptible to alcohol poisoning than adults. The recommended drinking threshold should be limited to 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men in a 2-hour period.
Young children can get alcohol poisoning from drinking alcohol-containing products such as mouthwash, hand sanitizer, perfume, some body sprays and some cold, cough and allergy medicines. response.

3. How is the blood alcohol test done?

The time of the test can affect the accuracy of the results. A blood alcohol test is only accurate for 6-12 hours after your last drink.
The patient does not need special preparation for the blood alcohol test. The nurse will take a venous blood sample from the patient's arm after disinfecting with Povidone-iodin. The blood draw usually does not take more than 5 minutes. After collecting enough blood, the blood will be put into a test tube and taken to the laboratory immediately for analysis.
There is very little risk in doing a blood test. You may have mild pain or bruising at the site of the blood draw, but most symptoms will go away quickly.

4. How to read blood alcohol test results

Blood alcohol test results can be provided in different ways, but there will be a blood alcohol percentage (BAC) reading with the following descriptions:
Province apple: 0% BAC (0.00 g/dL) A little tinnitus may be felt, but no difficulty speaking, seeing, or balancing: 0.001–0.029% BAC (0.03 g/dL) Feeling tinnitus, impaired judgment, flamboyant behavior, mild euphoria, talkative: 0.030–0.059 % BAC (0.05 g/dL) Drunk within the range, may experience difficulty Difficulty balancing, talking and looking straight ahead. If you regularly drink alcohol, you may not have any symptoms at this point, but brain and liver damage is still happening: 0.08% BAC (0.08 g/dL) Impaired judgment, decreased attention, difficulty walking, and mood swings: 0.1% BAC (0.10 g/dL) Appearance of "drunk", vomiting, confusion, unsteady gait: 0.2% BAC (0 .20 g/dL) Drowsiness, unconsciousness: 0.3% BAC (0.30 g/dL) At risk of serious complications, coma or possibly death: ≥ 0.4% (0.40 g/dL) ) Hai Phong International General Hospital owns modern and synchronous automatic combined testing equipment of famous and reputable firms in the field of testing in the world such as Beckman Coulter (USA) ), Roche (Switzerland):
Modern system for transporting specimens and returning results by compressed air of Beckman - Coulter (USA) to avoid contamination, sample confusion, and at the same time avoid the impact of the environment on patient samples, giving accurate test results with fast response time. VITEK2 COMPACT Biormerieux automatic identification and antibiotic system for microbiological tests is the system of equipment being used at leading hospitals in Hanoi and Hai Phong. Pathology: The first BenchMark XT automatic in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry staining machine in Hai Phong identifies the origin and classification of cancers. With the system of modern testing equipment mentioned above, Vinmec Hai Phong Hospital ensures the accuracy of test results such as:
Biochemistry, hematology, coagulation, immunological tests to serve the examination. general health, detecting thyroid disease and cancer markers (liver, colon, pancreas, prostate, ovary, breast...) Histopathological examination: Basic test to detect cancer (through aspiration, cell biopsy) Prenatal screening tests, newborns detect congenital malformations, congenital hypothyroidism, G6PD enzyme deficiency causing reduced erythrocyte lifespan, detect abnormalities usually adrenal gland... Microbiological tests in blood and urine detect the cause of infection. Diagnostic tests for hepatitis A, B, and C virus infections; HPV, HIV, Chlamydia, rubella... Customers who receive medical examination and treatment at Hai Phong International General Hospital will be provided with highly accurate test results, helping to diagnose and treat the disease. effective.

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