Why is this procedure done?
A blood alcohol test is used to find out if there is alcohol in your body. This test may be ordered: ‚
- For health reasons to treat signs you are having
- For legal reasons to see if there is alcohol in your blood and how much
- As a part of routine follow up for treatment
- As a part of a drug testing panel
Doctors mostly test your blood. At times, your urine, spit, or breath may be tested for alcohol. ‚
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What will the results be?
- The test results can be looked at from a health or legal viewpoint.
- If the results are positive, it means there is alcohol in your body. You have likely been drinking in the past 3 to 10 hours.
- If the test was done for legal reasons or done by law enforcement, the amount of alcohol must be looked at from a legal viewpoint. Certain areas and tasks have limits for the amount of alcohol that may be in your body.
- In many states, you are legally intoxicated if your blood alcohol content is more than 0.08%.
- You may have more trouble doing tasks and your body may not function well if your alcohol content is between 0.08% to 0.40%.
- Alcohol levels can kill you if they are over 0.40%.
- Ask your doctor to explain the above results and what they mean for you.
- The signs you have, how much harm there is to your body, or if you die due to drinking too much alcohol is based on a few things like:
- General health
- Age
- Weight
- Drugs you are taking
- Amount of alcohol you use
What happens before the procedure?
Your doctor will take your history. Talk to the doctor about: ‚
- All the drugs you are taking
- If you have any bleeding problems
What happens during the procedure?
Blood sample: ‚
- It will only take a few minutes to have this test. You will be awake the whole time. You will have a small amount of blood taken from you with a needle. You may have a little pain. The needle will be taken out and a bandage will be put on your skin. The lab will test your blood for alcohol.
Urine sample: ‚
- The staff will give you a clean plastic cup. You will use this to catch your urine.
- Wash your hands well with soap and warm water. You will be given supplies to clean your genital area.
- After you have washed, you will pee into the cup.
- Start to pass urine into the toilet. After a few seconds, catch your urine by placing the cup into your urine stream. Make sure your cup is about 1/3 full of urine.
- The staff will label the cup with your name and send it to the lab for testing.
Breath sample: ‚
- You will be asked to blow into a balloon or tube.
Spit sample: ‚
- The staff will swab your mouth to collect spit on a cotton tipped swab.
What happens after the procedure?
- You may want to sit quietly for a few minutes before standing up if you had blood drawn or a breath sample. This will help keep you from feeling dizzy after the test.
- Put pressure with your other hand where the needle was. This will help with bruising and bleeding.
- Ask your doctor when you will get the results.
What care is needed at home?
You may do your everyday activities when you get back home. ‚
What follow-up care is needed?
You will need to see your doctor to go over the results. ‚
What problems could happen?
If you had a blood test: ‚
- Pain
- Bruising
- Bleeding
- Feeling dizzy
- Infection
Where can I learn more?
American Association for Clinical Chemistry ‚
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ethanol/tab/test/ ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚