Ethanol - breath
Last updated: Thursday, 08, April, 2004
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| Item | Process |
|---|---|
| Specimen | Expired air blown directly into instrument. |
| Method | Spectrophotometry. The result is usually provided as a blood level, less commonly as the actual concentration in expired air. |
| Reference Interval | Not detected in the absence of ethanol ingestion. |
| Application | Used as a screening test for ethanol ingestion. |
| Interpretation | If a positive result is of possible clinical significance, it is necessary to collect a blood specimen as the blood level estimated from a breath specimen may be inaccurate. |
| Reference | Cook JD. Clin Biochem 2003; 36(1): 9-19. |