Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2017.041

The alcohol used for cleansing the venipuncture site does not jeopardize blood and plasma alcohol measurement with head-space gas chromatography and an enzymatic assay

Giuseppe Lippi orcid.org/0000-0001-9523-9054 ; Working Group for Preanalytical Phase (WG-PRE), European Federation for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM)
Ana-Maria Simundic ; Working Group for Preanalytical Phase (WG-PRE), European Federation for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM)
Giacomo Musile ; Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
Elisa Danese ; Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
Gianluca Salvagno ; Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
Franco Tagliaro ; Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Abstract

IntroductionThis study aimed to establish whether an alcoholic antiseptic, wiped or not before venipuncture, may jeopardize alcohol testing with a commercial enzymatic assay and a reference head-space gas chromatography (GC) technique. Materials and methodsVenous blood was collected from 23 healthy volunteers, with two sequential procedures. In the first blood collection, 2 mL of alcoholic antiseptic (0.5% chlorhexidine, 70% ethanol) were place on a gauge pad, the venipuncture site of right arm was cleaned but the antiseptic was not let to dry before phlebotomy. In the second blood collection, 2 mL of the same alcoholic antiseptic were placed on another gauge pad, the venipuncture site of left harm was cleaned and the antiseptic was accurately cleansed before phlebotomy. Ethanol was measured with a reference GC technique in whole blood and EDTA plasma, and a commercial enzymatic assay in EDTA plasma. ResultsNo subject complained about feeling a particular itchy sensation when the alcohol was not wiped before puncturing the vein. The concentration of alcohol in all EDTA plasma samples was always lower than the limit of detection of the enzymatic assay (i.e., 2.2 mmol/L; 0.1 g/L). Similarly, alcohol concentration was also undetectable using a reference GC technique (i.e., < 0.22 mmol/L; 0.01 g/L) in EDTA plasma and whole blood. ConclusionIt seems reasonable to conclude that using ethanol-containing antiseptics before venipuncture may not be causes of spurious or false positive results of alcohol measurement at least when ideal venipunctures can be performed.

Keywords

laboratory testing; diagnostics; alcohol; errors; pre-analytical phase

Hrčak ID:

183390

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/183390

Publication date:

15.6.2017.

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