II. Definitions
- Blood Alcohol Content (BAC, Blood Alcohol Concentration)
- Measure of Alcohol content (and Intoxication) in blood
- Measured in grams of Alcohol per 100 ml of blood (expressed as percent)
- Example: 0.10% = 0.10 g Alcohol per 100 ml blood = 100 mg/dl = 22 mmol/L
- Alcohol Breath Test (Breathalyzer)
- Measured as grams Alcohol per 210 Liters of breath
III. Labs: Blood Alcohol Level
- Blood Alcohol Effects in non-habitual drinkers
- Blood Alcohol Content 0.02% to 0.05% (20 to 50 mg/dl, 4.4 to 11 mmol/L)
- Decreased fine motor coordination
- Blood Alcohol Content 0.05% to 0.10% (50 to 100 mg/dl, 11 to 22 mmol/L)
- Impaired judgement
- Impaired concentration
- Blood Alcohol Content 0.10% to 0.15% (100 to 150 mg/dl, 22 to 33 mmol/L)
- Altered gait and balance
- Blood Alcohol Content 0.15% to 0.25% (150 to 250 mg/dl, 33 to 55 mmol/L)
- Lethargy
- May need assistance to sit upright
- Blood Alcohol Content 0.30% (300 mg/dl, 66 mmol/L)
- Blood Alcohol Content 0.40% (400 mg/dl, 88 mmol/L)
- Respiratory Depression
- References
- Marx (2002) Rosen Emergency Medicine, Elsevier, p. 2513
- (2022) Clinical Effects of Blood Alcohol Concentration, UpToDate, accessed 4/21/2022
- Blood Alcohol Content 0.02% to 0.05% (20 to 50 mg/dl, 4.4 to 11 mmol/L)
- Blood Alcohol Metabolism
IV. Labs: Biomarkers of Alcohol Use
- Ethyl Glucuronide
- Urine Alcohol biomarker
- Positive if Alcohol use in last 3 days (longer if Renal Insufficiency)
- Detects ingestions of as little as 5 g of Alcohol
- Test Sensitivity: 76%
- Test Specificity: 93%
- Urine Alcohol biomarker
- Ethyl Sulfate
- Urine Alcohol biomarker
- Positive if Alcohol use in last 3 days (longer if Renal Insufficiency)
- Test Sensitivity: 82%
- Test Specificity: 86%
- Urine Alcohol biomarker
- Phospatidylethanol
- Blood Alcohol biomarker
- Positive if Alcohol use in last 2 to 3 weeks
- No major confounding factors (e.g. age, BMI, gender, renal or liver disease)
- More expensive than the urine biomarkers
- Test Sensitivity: 100%
- Test Specificity: 96%
- Blood Alcohol biomarker
Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)
Related Studies
Concepts | Diagnostic Procedure (T060) |
MSH | D001944 |
SnomedCT | 225622001 |
English | Breathalyzer Test, Test, Breathalyzer, Tests, Breathalyzer, Breathalyser test, Breathalyser test (procedure), Breathalyzer Tests |
Portuguese | Teste de Análise do Ar Expirado |
Spanish | Test de Alcoholemia, prueba de alcohol en el aliento (procedimiento), prueba de alcohol en el aliento |
German | Atemluftanalyse |
French | Éthylotest, Tests d'alcoolémie |
Czech | alkohol tester, měřič alkoholu v dechu |
Italian | Test con il palloncino, Prove con l'etilometro |
Norwegian | Alkotest |
Dutch | Ademanalyse(test) |
Ontology: Blood alcohol level measurement (C0542492)
Concepts | Laboratory Procedure (T059) |
SnomedCT | 144257006, 167009006 |
English | blood alcohol level, blood ethanol level (BAL) (lab test), blood ethanol level (BAL), blood alcohol concentration measurement, blood alcohol level measurement, BAC determination, Blood alcohol level measurement, blood ethanol level, blood alcohol level test, blood alcohol measurement, Blood ethanol level (procedure), Blood alcohol level, Blood ethanol level, Blood ethanol measurement (procedure), Blood ethanol measurement |
Spanish | determinación de nivel de alcoholemia, determinación de nivel de etanol en sangre, medición de etanol en sangre (procedimiento), medición de etanol en sangre, nivel de alcohol en sangre |
Ontology: Blood alcohol concentration (C0684262)
Concepts | Finding (T033) |
English | BAL, BAC, Blood alcohol concentration, blood alcohol concentration (BAC), blood alcohol concentration, blood alcohol level, Blood Alcohol Concentration |
Ontology: Blood alcohol (C1167994)
Concepts | Laboratory Procedure (T059) |
Japanese | 血中アルコール, ケッチュウアルコール |
Czech | Alkohol v krvi |
English | alcohol blood, blood alcohol, Blood alcohol |
Italian | Alcool ematico |
Hungarian | Alkohol vérszint |
French | Alcool sanguin |
Portuguese | Alcoolemia |
Spanish | Determinación de acoholemia |
Dutch | bloed alcohol |
German | Blutalkohol |
Ontology: Serum ethanol measurement (C1278128)
Concepts | Laboratory Procedure (T059) |
SnomedCT | 167016007, 144264008, 313634009 |
English | Serum ethanol level (procedure), Serum ethanol level, Serum ethanol measurement (procedure), Serum ethanol measurement |
Spanish | determinación de nivel sérico de etanol, medición sérica de etanol (procedimiento), medición sérica de etanol |
Ontology: Ethyl glucuronide | urine (C1987551)
Concepts | Carbohydrate (T118) |
LNC | LP53374-2 |
English | Ethyl glucuronide | urine |