The saliva strip test is an accurate method to determine blood alcohol concentration in trauma patients.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Department of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, USA. linda.degutis@yale.edu
Linda C
LC
Degutis
Reuven
R
Rabinovici
Alfredo
A
Sabbaj
Rebecca
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Mascia
Gail
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D'Onofrio
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism
D000431:Ethanol