Description
ETG & ETS Urine Laboratory Test for Alcohol Detection
Detailed Description
The EtG/EtS test can detect alcohol in urine up to 80 hours after consumption. This is a very useful tool for a zero tolerance policy on alcohol consumption.This urine alcohol laboratory test is the most advanced commercially available test you can find.
A Medical Review Officer (MRO) service with this test is available upon request (please enter order notes during checkout). An MRO is trained and licensed to review positive drug and alcohol test results. An MRO will compare results with legal prescription and over the counter medications.
Advantages of Alcohol ETG & ETS Urine Tests over other Alcohol Tests
Two conventional methods have been used for alcohol testing - simple urine tests and Breathalyzers. These methods are used to detect if one has consumed alcohol recently; but no such method was able to ascertain if one has taken alcohol within last week! This is because alcohol dissipates itself from the system in a matter of hours. Recently, a new protocol has come up which is being tagged as “gold standard of alcohol testing” & has changed the face of alcohol testing industry for this can tell if someone has taken alcohol even few days back!
This powerful protocol has successfully been employed by two newly developed testing techniques - the ETG (Ethyl Glucuronide) Test & The ETS (Ethyl Sulphate) Test, which, in a short span of time, have gained sudden popularity for a simple yet cogent inherent advantage over all the conventional methods. These methods are able to sketch down the whole alcoholic consumption history of the last 80 hours where as, simple and conventional urine test and breathalyzers can give a plot only for the last few hours. The alcohol dissipates itself from the system within few hours and here these conventional methods simply fail whereas, ETG & ETS tests still work!
Additional Information
Working principle of Alcohol ETG & ETS Urine Tests:These tests are based on the alcohol biomarkers. These biomarkers are the physiological compounds that are produced as byproducts when alcohol is metabolized in the body. This test assumes the presence of such metabolites in the body as an indication of alcohol consumption.
Actually, there is a compound called glucuronic acid which is present in the liver. When ethyl alcohol is consumed, it is metabolized in the liver where it combines with that glucuronic acid & forms Ethyl glucuronide as a final product. Similarly, Ethyl Sulphate is also produced as a byproduct. Now, alcohol dissipates within few hours of its consumption but this Ethyl glucuronide & Ethyl Sulphate residues remain in the system for as long as 80 hours & can be detected easily in the laboratory as both ETG & ETS are easily quantifiable with Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.
In some cases ETG markers can be traced even after 5 days of consuming alcohol. This amazing sensitivity makes this method most suitable to be applied in a diverse array of situations to find illegal, long term alcohol consumption. No wonder, since its instauration, this test has gained wide popularity & acceptance all across the globe. Nowadays, this test is also conducted widely in the corporate world to profile the alcohol habits and use of illicit drugs by their prospective employees.
Related Information
What is this, EtG? What is its significance?EtG is a metabolite, which is formed as a byproduct of alcohol metabolism. When alcohol is metabolized in liver, it forms ethyl glucuronide (EtG). Hence its presence is the indication of consumption of alcohol. These metabolites stay in the body for around three to four days (approximately 80 hours) after the consumption of alcohol; hence it provides a larger window for the investigational purposes.
Are there any other methods for alcohol testing? Are they reliable?
Yes! Some simple urine tests and breathalyzers are also available to do the job but these testing methods for alcohol consumption have remained unchanged and unreliable. Urine ethanol has its flaws such as false positive results. The window of detection for breath alcohol testing is small and always had to be confirmed by laboratory blood testing which may not occur for many hours after suspected consumption.
Where & how these tests can be applied?
The ETG & ETS tests can be employed in a diverse array of situations including:
* Investigation of crime scenes, where the accused can be tested for alcohol even after several days.
* In cases of road rage & rash driving, to detect if the accused has been under the influence of alcohol.
* In the corporate world, this test is used as a part of drug and alcohol screening policy for its current & potential employees.
Is this test, completely reliable?
The ETG/ETS alcohol detection test is based on the principle of alcohol biomarkers, which are only produced due to alcohol metabolism. The ETG/ETS can not be masked by any illnesses, for example, urinary tract infections or diabetes as any false positives are eliminated in the detection process.
Who is said to have a ‘positive’ report? How it can be interpreted?
If you report ETG counts around 1000, you are said to have a positive report & this marks you as a more substantiated suspect of alcohol consumption! You may report positive for the test for three possible reasons:
* Intentional alcohol consumption.
* Incidental alcohol consumption i.e. if you consumed any food or drugs that contained alcohol.
* Auto brewery syndrome i.e. your body produces ethanol in-vivo.
Most of the times, it is intentional consumption whereas sometimes, it is genuine unintentional consumption of alcohol containing foods/drugs. However, it is difficult to tell between these two conditions just by looking at test results.
What can I interpret from false positive?
Though, there are virtually no false positive reports, because presence of EtG in urine is due to beverage-alcohol only, however it must be considered that there is so much of non-beverage alcohol present in food, drugs etc. So, to avoid confusions in false positives and the ‘real positive’ reports, doctors have devised ways to tell them apart on the basis of cutoff levels.
What do you mean by cutoff levels?
Cutoff levels can be imagined as the differentiating line between the false and the real positive reports. A cutoff level is set on the basis of the ratio of intentional and incidental alcohol consumption. These levels are usually set on the basis of an individual’s lifestyle & eating habits.
Can this test be cheated?
No.
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Instructions
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