Rapid quantitative determination of blood alcohol concentration in the emergency department using an electrochemical method.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the reliability of a recently developed electrochemical meter to rapidly (within 60 seconds) measure blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in the emergency department.


METHODS
A prospective study comparing the meter data with that of immunoassay and gas chromatography criterion standards undertaken during a ten-week period.


METHODS
Adult ED of a municipal hospital.


METHODS
Three hundred eighty-three consecutive patients with altered mental status or suspected alcohol intoxication.


METHODS
Each patient underwent routine phlebotomy, and blood samples were obtained for meter and immunoassay BAC determinations. The first 60% of patients also underwent gas chromatography BAC determination.


RESULTS
Two hundred nineteen patients (60%) had BAC detectable by both meter and immunoassay. BAC measurement by the meter correlated strongly with immunoassay and gas chromatography determinations (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = .94; P less than .00000001 for both correlations).


CONCLUSIONS
The electrochemical meter provides a rapid and reliable BAC measurement in the ED.
Wax
P M
PM
Department of Emergency Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York City.
Hoffman
R S
RS
Goldfrank
L R
LR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000592:standards; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
D000431:Ethanol