EtG Test for Alcohol

Ethyl glucuronide or EtG is a metabolite of alcohol. It becomes present in the urine a short while after a person begins to drink beer, wine, or liquor, and then lasts for approximately 70 to 80 hours. An EtG Urine Alcohol Test looks for this metabolite to indicate if a person has consumed alcohol over the past 3 days.

How is this different than a breath alcohol test?

While breath alcohol detects the level alcohol that is currently in the blood, the EtG Urine Alcohol Test allows for a much farther look back period. The actual levels of EtG are influenced by how far back during the window of detection that the person consumed the alcohol, and how much the person drank. However, the results of this test will not tell you exactly when a person consumed alcohol, or how much alcohol was consumed.

When someone consumes alcohol (ethanol), the body metabolizes it at the rate of approximately one drink per 90 minutes. However, once the alcohol is gone, a side product of the body's metabolization, known as ethyl glucorinide, remains. This metabolite stays in the urine for about 3 days after the consumption of alcohol. Therefore, EtG tests should be ordered to check if someone has had any alcohol at all over a specific, extended time period. Since these tests look back 3 days, it is appropriate in certain situations, such as: when a parent with a known alcohol problem has had custody of children for the weekend; when a recovering alcoholic has returned from rehab and needs to be tested on an ongoing basis; when a college student agrees with his or her parents to remain alcohol free and get tested randomly.

One size does not fit all when it comes to alcohol testing. The version of the test that you choose should be based on your unique circumstances. Alcohol, unlike illegal substances, is permitted and fully legal in many circumstances, but not in others. As an employer, it is important to order the right test so as not to accidentally trample on your employees' legal rights to consume alcohol on their own time. If you're testing for private reasons, it's also vital to know which alcohol test best suits your needs.

Urine Alcohol - 12 hour lookback

The Basic Urine Alcohol Test is a less expensive test ($77) and does not screen for EtG at all. Rather, it tests only for "ethanol". In other words, it's looking for the actual presence of alcohol in the bloodstream, rather than a metabolite that might last longer than the alcohol itself. Once the actual alcohol has been excreted, it is no longer detectable by this basic test. This test is generally known to look back at the last 12 hours, but the timeframe can vary somewhat from person to person depending on the amount of alcohol consumed and other factors.

Health Street offers several combined drug and alcohol tests to save time and money by testing both in one panel. We have options to add a basic, an advanced, or a comprehensive screening for drugs.

If you are going through or a divorce and fear for the safety of your children when in the custody of your spouse or ex-spouse due to a known alcohol problem, Health Street can help. The best practice is to come to an agreement to test for the presence of alcohol on a set periodic basis, or on a random basis, depending on your situation. There are 6 factors to consider when crafting a drug or alcohol testing agreement during a divorce. Health Street can help manage the testing once the parties have come to an understanding about such matters as:

• Frequency of Testing
• Random vs. Scheduled vs. Post-Custodial Period
• How the Results are Reported
• Who Pays
• Specific Version of the Test (EtG vs. Basic)