They also calculated light and heavy drinking over one to five days. They become less effective at 24 hours with light alcohol use and 48 hours with heavier alcohol use. However, there is a maximum amount of measurable EtG. Drinking above the limit may not raise EtG levels more than can be detectable.
Therefore, an EtG test effectively detects drinking, but it is not effective in detecting the amount of alcohol consumed. There are also some limitations to EtG tests. For example, mouthwash and hand sanitizer containing alcohol may cause EtG to be detectable in urine even with abstinence from alcohol.
This causes false positives. While rare, it is possible. EtG test results are simple. A positive EtG test detects alcohol in the urine and suggests that alcohol was consumed within the last few days.
A negative EtG test would suggest that the person has not consumed alcohol within the previous few days. Keep in mind that false positives are possible. In fact, it can be detectable in urine for up to 48 hours after having just a few drinks. In some cases of heavy drinking, it can be detected for up to 72 hours or more. It is possible to dilute levels of EtG in urine by hydrating with a lot of water and urinating often. The more time that passes, the less EtG can be detected. For example, after two days, sensitivity drops for six or less drinks.
Because EtG is a metabolite of alcohol, EtG tests can pick up even small traces of alcohol. You may not even need to drink alcohol for EtG to show up in your urine. The longer the time since consumption, the lower the EtG level see above. Finally, there is a maximum amount of EtG that can be measured, so drinking above that limit might not raise EtG more than can be detected ceiling effect. We do this to provide complete information on which to base a sound clinical decision.
However, there have been some reports in the literature, as well as concern raised in legal cases, that other sources of alcohol e. An EtG test can confirm that a person did not consume alcohol in the days prior to the test when a breathalyzer can't. The concern about EtG testing is that it is extremely sensitive and can produce false positives if a person has been exposed to alcohol in even tiny amounts.
Some of the common ethanol-containing products that can produce false positives in EtG testing include:. This is only a partial list. In truth there are many, even hundreds of every-day products that contain ethanol and which can trigger an EtG test to produce a positive result.
The EtG test is most reliably used in confirming that a person has not consumed alcohol or any alcohol-containing products in the days prior to the test. A positive EtG test usually confirms a person was exposed to ethanol within the days leading up to the urinalysis. Even with this as its goal, the test will only accurately detect ethanol in a person who recently consumed alcohol 70 percent or more of the time.
One study showed that for moderate to heavy drinking, this number jumps to 85 percent. A negative EtG test shows that a person was not exposed to ethanol within the testing time frame up to five days. These amounts of EtG can be associated with:. In addition to ethanol exposure through the consumer products mentioned earlier, there are some situations where a person may have a positive EtG test without consuming a product with ethanol.
For instance, if a person's urine sample is not stored properly and remains too long at room temperature, EtG levels can rise due to bacteria growth in the sample. EtG stands for ethyl glucuronide, which is a substance produced in the liver when your body processes alcohol. The EtG test is actually testing for this substance using small strips that are either dipped in urine, or have small droplets of urine dropped onto them. Timelines for how long your system will show signs of EtG are different depending on who you ask.
Some studies show EtG is detectible from 24 to hours after the alcohol is processed, but others say between 24 and 72 hours, all depending on the amount of alcohol that entered your body. Another factor is the differences in our bodies. Even further , the level of urine stored in your bladder can have an effect on how much EtG is detectible.
You would be required to give a urine sample, usually in one of those little plastic containers with a lid. The person doing the test would then utilize a kit containing one or more strips that have different colored squares on them, although not all test kits are like this. The EtG test is sensitive enough they can detect EtG resulting even from a small amount of alcohol entering your body. They quickly became the go-to test in situations where abstinence from alcohol was being watched.
Since the EtG test is so sensitive it has to be used with caution and the full knowledge, both from the tester and the person receiving the test, that false positives are possible.
One way this is particularly difficult to deal with right now is the prevalence of hand sanitizer. A study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that hand sanitizer and other products containing propanol can lead to false positives. You may not know all of the products in your house containing alcohol. Some of them include aftershave, certain antiperspirants, mouthwash, and quite a few other things. If you are going to be taking an EtG test in the future the best thing to do is get a list from the treatment center or whoever is doing the test, and do your best to steer clear of the products listed as containing alcohol of some sort.
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