Comparison Among Plasma, Serum, and Whole Blood Ethanol Concentrations: Impact of Storage Conditions and Collection Tubes

Penetar, David M.; McNeil, Jane F.; Ryan, Elizabeth; Lukas, Scott E.

doi:10.1093/jat/32.7.505

Cited by 43 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…One study showed that inclusion of fluoride ions made no difference when the tubes were refrigerated or kept at room temperature for 14 days before analysis [18] . This was confirmed in another study when the blood specimens were stored for 10 days [19] . The need for 100 mg NaF in ante-mortem forensic blood samples seems more of a historical tradition rather than a proven necessity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Decreases in blood ethanol concentrations during storage at 4 °C for 12 months were the same for specimens kept in glass or plastic tubes

Jones

Ericsson

2016

Practical Laboratory Medicine

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BackgroundThe stability of ethanol was investigated in blood specimens in glass or plastic evacuated tubes after storage in a refrigerator at 4 °C for up to 12 months.MethodsSterile blood, from a local hospital, was divided into 50 mL portions and spiked with aqueous ethanol (10% w/v) to give target concentrations of 0.20, 1.00, 2.00 and 3.00 g/L. Ethanol was determined in blood by headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) with an analytical imprecision of <3% (coefficient of variation, CV%). Aliquots of blood were re-analysed after 2, 7, 14, 28, 91, 182 and 364 days of storage at 4 °C.ResultsThe standard deviation (SD) of analysis by HS-GC was 0.0059 g/L at 0.20 g/L and 0.0342 g/L at 3.00 g/L, corresponding to CVs of 2.9% and 1.1%, respectively. The decreases in blood ethanol content were analytically significant after 14–28 days of storage for both glass and plastic tubes The mean (lowest and highest) loss of ethanol after 12 months storage was 0.111 g/L (0.084–0.129 g/L) for glass tubes and 0.112 g/L (0.088–0.140 g/L) for plastic tubes. The corresponding percentage losses of ethanol were 43–45% at a starting concentration of 0.20 g/L and 3.9–4.1% at 3.00 g/L.ConclusionThe concentration of ethanol in blood gradually decreases during storage at 4 °C. After 12 months storage the absolute decrease in concentration was ~0.11 g/L when the starting concentration ranged from 0.20 to 3.0 g/L. Decreases in ethanol content were the same for specimens kept in glass or plastic evacuated tubes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Decreases in blood ethanol concentrations during storage at 4 °C for 12 months were the same for specimens kept in glass or plastic tubes

Jones

Ericsson

2016

Practical Laboratory Medicine

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“…The blood samples were then centrifuged, and the plasma separated into a plastic vial. Quantitative analysis of ethanol levels was performed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC ⁄ FID) (Hewlett-Packard model 5890 series II equipped with a model 18593B autosampler) (Penetar et al, 2008). Analysis was performed on every 5-minute sample after the commencement of drinking for 75 minutes and on samples taken at 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kudzu Extract Treatment Does Not Increase the Intoxicating Effects of Acute Alcohol in Human Volunteers

Penetar

MacLean

McNeil

et al. 2011

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

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Background Isoflavone administration in the form of a purified extract from the herbal medication kudzu root has been shown to reduce, but not eliminate, alcohol consumption in alcohol-abusing and alcohol-dependent men. The precise mechanism of this action is unknown, but one possible explanation for these results is that the isoflavones in kudzu might actually increase the intensity or duration of alcohol’s effects and thus delay the desire for subsequent drinks. The present study was designed to test this hypothesis. Methods Twelve (12) healthy adult men and women (27.5±1.89 yrs old) who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol (7.8±0.63 drinks/week) participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in which they were treated with either kudzu extract (total isoflavone dose of 750 mg/day) or matched placebo for nine days. On days 8 and 9, participants received an acute challenge of ethyl alcohol (either 0.35 or 0.7 g/kg alcohol). During the challenges the following measures were collected: subjective effects, psychomotor (body sway), cognitive performance (vigilance/reaction time), physiological measures (heart rate and skin temperature), and plasma ethanol concentration. Results Alcohol resulted in a dose-related alteration in subjective measures of intoxication, impairment of stance stability, and vigilance/reaction time. Kudzu extract did not alter participants’ subjective responses to the alcohol challenge or to alcohol’s effects on stance stability or vigilance/reaction time. However, individuals treated with kudzu extract experienced a slightly more rapid rise in plasma ethanol levels, but only after the 0.7 g/kg dose. This transient effect during the first 30 minutes of the ascending plasma alcohol curve lasted only 10-15 minutes; there were no differences in peak plasma alcohol levels or alcohol elimination kinetics. Additionally, kudzu pretreatment enhanced the effects of the 0.7 g/kg dose of alcohol on heart rate and skin temperature. Conclusions These data suggest that individuals who drink alcohol while being treated with kudzu extract experience no adverse consequences and further, the reported reductions in alcohol intake after kudzu extract treatment are not related to an alteration in alcohol’s subjective or psychomotor effects.

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“…7 Whole blood, on average, will give a lower ethanol result than the use of serum (reported at 11% lower). 8 Additionally, the observed negative bias may be attributed to systemic bias related to differences in calibration between the two methods. In this cohort of specimens there are three serum specimens that were analyzed by the SDCMEO and the hospitals.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of hospital and forensic laboratory ethanol concentrations: A 15 month investigation of antemortem specimens

Saitman

Estrada

Fitzgerald

et al. 2015

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine

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a b s t r a c tQuantitative serum alcohol concentrations from regional hospitals (from specimens collected at time of hospital admission) were compared to results from whole blood (from specimens collected at the time of hospital admission) concentrations measured at the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office (SDCMEO). Over a 15 month period (January 2012 to March 2013), the postmortem forensic toxicology laboratory analyzed a total of 2,321 cases. Of these, 280 were hospital cases (antemortem) representing 12% of the overall Medical Examiner toxicology casework. 59 of the 280 hospital cases (or 21%) screened positive for alcohol (ethanol). 39 of these 59 cases were included in the study based on available specimens for quantitative analyses. This investigation indicated that serum hospital ethanol concentrations correlated well (R 2 ¼ 0.942) with ethanol values determined at SDCMEO (generally measured in whole blood). There was an observed negative bias with an average of À14.1%. A paired t-test was applied to the data and it was shown that this observed bias is statistically significant. These differences in ethanol concentrations could result from differences in specimen, analytical techniques, and/or calibration. The potential for specimen contamination is also discussed.

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Comparison Among Plasma, Serum, and Whole Blood Ethanol Concentrations: Impact of Storage Conditions and Collection Tubes

Cited by 43 publications

References 19 publications

Decreases in blood ethanol concentrations during storage at 4 °C for 12 months were the same for specimens kept in glass or plastic tubes

Decreases in blood ethanol concentrations during storage at 4 °C for 12 months were the same for specimens kept in glass or plastic tubes

Kudzu Extract Treatment Does Not Increase the Intoxicating Effects of Acute Alcohol in Human Volunteers

Comparative analysis of hospital and forensic laboratory ethanol concentrations: A 15 month investigation of antemortem specimens

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