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Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

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ETHANOL, MEDICAL

Geisinger Epic Procedure Code:  LAB2241    Geisinger Epic ID:  14292

SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Specimen type: 

Plasma or Serum


Preferred collection container: 
Specimen required: 

2 mL of serum or plasma; minimum 0.5 mL


Special notes: 

Non-alcoholic wipe is preferred to clean draw site. Alcohol wipe is, however, acceptable.



SPECIMEN PROCESSING
Processing instructions: 

Allow serum to clot. Centrifuge to separate serum or plasma within 2 hours of collection.


Transport temperature: 

Refrigerated.


Specimen stability: 

Stable 2 days at room temperature, 2 weeks if refrigerated or frozen, 1 hour if uncapped at all sites.


Rejection criteria: 

Stability limits exceeded.



TEST DETAILS
Interpretation guide: 

Negative (<10 mg/dL). 
50-100 mg/dL: Flushing, slowing of reflexes, impaired visual acuity 
101-400 mg/dL: Depression of CNS 
>400 mg/dL fatalities reported


CPT code(s):  82077
Note: The billing party has sole responsibility for CPT coding.  Any questions regarding coding should be directed to the payer being billed.
The CPT codes provided by GML are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only.

Test includes: 

Ethanol.


Methodology: 
Spectrophotometric (Colorimetric)
Synonyms: 

Alcohol, ETOH, ALCO


Clinical significance: 

Ethanol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant commonly drunk as an alcoholic beverage. Levels greater than 0.08% w/v in blood create cognitive amd motor impairment and may form the medicolegal definition for "intoxication." Blood alcohol content (BAC) is approximately 16% lower than serum alcohol levels done in the medical laboratory due to volume of distribution.


Doctoral Director(s): 
Hoi-Ying Elsie Yu, PhD, DABCC, FADLM
Sheng-Ying (Margaret) Lo, PhD, DABCC
Review Date:  12/27/2024

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