title: Measurement of direct ethanol metabolites suggests higher rate of alcohol use among pregnant women than found with the AUDIT--a pilot study in a population-based sample of Swedish women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to investigate whether biomarkers of alcohol consumption would provide additional information to the use of a validated alcohol questionnaire in pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred three pregnant women were included in the study. The women completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire, and a urine and hair sample was collected. The urine samples were used for determination of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate and the hair samples for EtG and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six women (25.2%) were identified as possible alcohol consumers by the combined use of AUDIT and direct ethanol metabolites. Seven subjects had EtG or FAEE levels in hair highly suspicious of heavy drinking, but only 1 of these were positive according to the AUDIT questionnaire
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined use of the AUDIT questionnaire and direct ethanol metabolites appear to identify more potential alcohol consumers among pregnant women than does the sole use of the AUDIT questionnaire.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric University Clinic, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Friedrich Martin
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Wurst
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kelso
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weinmann
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pragst
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yegles
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sundström Poromaa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005965:Glucuronates / Q000032:analysis; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005965:Glucuronates; C093924:ethyl glucuronide; D000431:Ethanol