The roles of phosphatidylethanol, ethyl glucuronide, and ethyl sulfate in identifying alcohol consumption among participants in professionals health programs. Issue 8 (3rd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reisfield, Gary M.; Teitelbaum, Scott A.; Opie, Shannon O.; Jones, Joseph; Morrison, Deborah G.; Lewis, Ben
• Is Part Of: Drug testing and analysis. Volume 12:Issue 8(2020)
• Page Start: 1102
• Page End: 1108
• Publication Date: 2020-07-03
• Subjects: alcohol -- alcohol use disorder -- ethyl glucuronide -- ethyl sulfate -- phosphatidylethanol; Drugs -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Drug testing -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Forensic -- Periodicals; 615.1901
• DOI: 10.1002/dta.2809
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1942-7603

Abstract

Abstract: Direct alcohol biomarkers, including urinary ethyl glucuronide (EtG), urinary ethyl sulfate (EtS), and blood phosphatidylethanol (PEth), are used to monitor alcohol abstinence in individuals who are mandated to abstain. In this consecutive case series study, we examined 1000 forensic reports of participants enrolled in a professionals health program who were contractually obligated to abstain from alcohol and who underwent recovery status evaluations. We identified 52 evaluations in which urinary EtG, EtS, and blood PEth were measured and which produced a positive result for at least one of these analytes. PEth, at a cutoff concentration of 20 ng/mL, revealed alcohol use more frequently than EtG or EtS at our laboratory's cutoff concentrations of 100 and 25 ng/mL, respectively. This was true, as well, at alternative EtG/EtS cutoff concentrations of 200/50, 300/75, and 400/100 ng/mL. PEth was more likely than EtG/EtS to be positive in participants previously diagnosed with alcohol use disorders (AUD), whereas EtG/EtS was more likely than PEth to be positive in participants without AUD. In this study, blood PEth was the most sensitive biomarker for evidencing alcohol use. Abstract : In a population that was obligated to abstain from drinking, blood phosphatidylethanol (PEth) proved to be the most prevalent biomarker of alcohol consumption. The combination of the relatively slowly eliminated blood PEth and the relatively rapidly eliminated urinary ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate improves the ability to detect past‐60‐day alcohol consumption and may suggest possible chronologies of recent drinking.