Premium
The Saliva Strip Test Is an Accurate Method to Determine Blood Alcohol Concentration in Trauma Patients
Author(s) -
Degutis Linda C.,
Rabinovici Reuven,
Sabbaj Alfredo,
Mascia Rebecca,
D'Onofrio Gail
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
academic emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1553-2712
pISSN - 1069-6563
DOI - 10.1197/j.aem.2004.02.529
Subject(s) - medicine , saliva , emergency department , trauma center , alcohol , gastroenterology , blood alcohol , poison control , emergency medicine , retrospective cohort study , injury prevention , psychiatry , biochemistry , chemistry
Objectives: To determine the accuracy of alcohol saliva testing (AST) in trauma patients. Methods: Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured by using both AST (QED A350; STC Technologies, Bethlehem, PA) and blood serum levels in 100 trauma patients admitted to the emergency department of an urban Level 1 trauma center. Results: All 41 patients who tested positive for BAC on AST (mean [±SD]: 167.9 ± 16.16; range: 20–350 mg/dL) also tested positive on serum determination (mean: 197.6 ± 13.79; range: 22–446 mg/dL). Correlation between the two positive tests was significant (0.879, p < 0.001). Of the remaining 61 patients, 59 tested negative on both tests, while two patients with BACs of <30 mg/dL tested negative on the AST. For 18 patients with blood in the oropharynx, there was a correlation of 0.976 (p < 0.001, two‐tailed) between serum and AST tests. Conclusions: The AST method of measuring BAC in trauma patients is accurate. Blood in the oral cavity did not appear to affect the accuracy of the test.