Ethanol, Blood - Saskatoon
Discipline
Biochemistry
Overview
Alias
- Alcohol
- EtOH
Specimen Information
Specimen types accepted
- Plasma or serum
Specimen collection container
- Preferred collection container: Light green (Lithium Heparin gel) 4.5 mL
- Alternative collection container: Gold (gel) 5 mL
- Alternative collection container: Dark Green (Lithium Heparin)4 mL
- Alternative collection container: Red (Clot Activator) 4 mL
- Alternative collection container: Red (No Additive) 6 mL
Collection procedure
- Must use non alcohol swab to cleanse/disinfect site prior to collection (such as chlorhexidine or iodine) only
- Centrifuge tube as soon as possible or within 2 hours of collection
- Storage refrigerated. For outreach locations, send to testing site refrigerated
- Cap tube tightly to minimize alcohol loss
Required volume
- Optimal volume: 4.5 mL full collection tube
- Minimum volume/pediatric volume: 1 mL
(Submitting the minimum volume makes it impossible to repeat the test or perform confirmatory/reflex testing. In some situations, a minimum volume may require a second collection.)
Transport and stability
After separation from cells (tightly capped tube):
- Ambient: 24 hours
- Refrigerated: 72 hours
- Frozen: 2 weeks
Rejection criteria
- Specimens received where the proper collection protocols were not followed
- Uncapped specimens greater than 1 hour
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Specimen Acceptance and Rejection Criteria
Performance
Methodology
- Enzymatic
Days/times performed
Availability |
|
Testing site |
|
Maximum laboratory time
- In Hospital reported within 2 hours
- Community urgent reported within 4 hours
- Community routine reported within 24 hours
- Critical results greater than or equal to 66 mmol/L will be phoned
Specimen retention time
- 3 days
Last Updated: October 9, 2024