Assessment of Ethanol Intoxication and Regulatory Issues

Testing for ethanol abuse is performed by clinical laboratories and by emergency medicine and law enforcement personnel. Although the definitive approach to determine ethanol intoxication for clinical or medicolegal purposes is whole blood analysis by gas chromatography, most laboratories and other testing facilities do not have such capabilities. In the clinical laboratory, ethanol is measured routinely in serum or plasma by using high-volume or benchtop analyzers. However, point-of-care testing devices can be used to screen other biologic fluids and breath. Many alternative devices have been approved by the US Department of Transportation and, thus, have become popular for workplace testing in the private sector. Breath-alcohol analysis is the most popular means for determining impairment in a medicolegal setting by law enforcement agencies.