Laboratory Medicine

Test Directory / Alcohol

Alcohol

Blood: Fluoride Oxalate

Test	Alcohol
Common Abbreviations	ALC
Profile	NA
Tube type	Blood: fluoride EDTA
Clinical Indication	Determination of alcohol concentration is commonly used for determining legal impairment, forensic purposes, diagnosis and treatment of alcohol dependency and detection of alcohol poisoning.
Specimen Type	Blood
Sample type	Plasma
Minimum Volume	1mL
Special Precautions	No special requirements
Stability	2 weeks at 2-8°C
Turnaround Time	Inpatient: 24 hours Outpatient/ GP: 24 hours
Laboratory	York
Reference Interval	Reference ranges do not apply to this assay.
Limitations	Ethyl alcohol is volatile so samples must remain lidded to prevent evaporation causing falsely low results. Urines contain sugars and contamination with microorganisms may yield false positive results due to fermentation of sugar to alcohol. Highly lipaemic samples may cause absorbance errors.
Notes

Update for visitors

Visiting restrictions are in place at our hospitals to stop the spread of norovirus. These restrictions will be in place until further notice.

The following wards are closed to visitors:

York Hospital: Ward 29 and Ward 37.

There are four exceptions only to the restrictions. These are:

For patients who are receiving end of life care

Paediatric patients (babies and children)

Maternity care

The family carers of those with dementia

We understand these restrictions can be difficult when a loved one is unwell. The restrictions will be reviewed daily and lifted as soon as it is safe. Thank you for your understanding as we try to reduce the spread of norovirus in our hospitals.