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HelpMayo Test ID ETGS Ethyl Glucuronide Screen, Random, Urine
Ordering Guidance
For situations where chain of custody is required, a Chain of Custody Kit (T282) is available. For chain-of-custody testing, order ETGX / Ethyl Glucuronide Confirmation, Chain of Custody, Random, Urine.
Specimen Required
Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)
Collection Container/Tube: Plastic urine container
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic, 5 mL tube
Specimen Volume: 2 mL
Collection Instructions:
1. Collect a random urine specimen.
2. No preservative.
Useful For
Screening for drug abuse involving alcohol
Method Name
Immunoassay
Reporting Name
Ethyl Glucuronide Screen, USpecimen Type
UrineSpecimen Minimum Volume
0.5 mL
Specimen Stability Information
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urine | Refrigerated (preferred) | 28 days | |
| Frozen | 28 days | ||
| Ambient | 72 hours |
Reject Due To
All specimens will be evaluated at Mayo Clinic Laboratories for test suitability.Clinical Information
Ethyl glucuronide is a direct metabolite of ethanol that is formed by enzymatic conjugation of ethanol with glucuronic acid. Alcohol in urine is normally detected for only a few hours, whereas ethyl glucuronide can be detected in the urine for 1 to 3 days.
This procedure uses immunoassay reagents that are designed to produce a negative result when no drugs are present in a natural (ie, unadulterated) specimen of urine; the assay is designed to have a high true-negative rate. Like all immunoassays, it can have false-positives due to cross-reactivity with natural chemicals and drugs other than those they were designed to detect. The immunoassay can also have false negatives due to the antibody's ability to cross-react with different drugs in the class being screened for.
Reference Values
Negative
Screening cutoff concentration: 500 ng/mL
Interpretation
This assay only provides a preliminary analytical test result. A more specific alternative method (ie, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) must be used to obtain a confirmed analytical result. A positive result using the ethyl glucuronide screen indicates only the potential presence of ethyl glucuronide and does not necessarily correlate with the extent of physiological and psychological effects.
Cautions
Care should be taken when interpreting results since there are many factors (eg, fluid intake and other biologic factors) that may influence a urine test result. It is possible that substances other than those investigated in the specificity study may interfere with the test and cause false-positive or negative results.
Clinical Reference
1. Schmitt G, Aderjan R, Keller T, Wu M. Ethyl glucuronide: an unusual ethanol metabolite in humans. Synthesis, analytical data, and determination in serum and urine. J Anal Toxicol. 1995;19(2):91-94. doi:10.1093/jat/19.2.91
2. Dahl H, Stephanson N, Beck O, Helander A. Comparison of urinary excretion characteristics of ethanol and ethyl glucuronide. J Anal Toxicol. 2002;26:201-104. doi:10.1093/jat/26.4.201
3. Wurst FM, Skipper GE, Weinmann W. Ethyl glucuronide--the direct ethanol metabolite on the threshold from science to routine use. Addiction. 2003;98 Suppl 2:51-61. doi:10.1046/j.1359-6357.2003.00588.x
4. Zimmer H, Schmitt G, Aderjan R. Preliminary immunochemical test for the determination of ethyl glucuronide in serum and urine: comparison of screening method results with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Anal Toxicol. 2002;26(1):11-16. doi: 10.1093/jat/26.1.11
5. Weinmann W, Schaefer P, Thierauf A, Schreiber A, Wurst FM. Confirmatory analysis of ethylglucuronide in urine by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry according to forensic guidelines. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2004;15(2):188-193. doi:10.1016/j.jasms.2003.10.010
6. Langman LJ, Bechtel LK, Holstege CP. Clinical toxicology. In: Rifai N, Chiu RWK, Young I, Burnham CAD, Wittwer CT, eds. Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine. 7th ed. Elsevier; 2023:454
Method Description
This assay is a homogeneous enzyme immunoassay technique. The assay will be performed semiquantitatively. The assay is based on competition between free drug in the urine sample, and a drug labeled with the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase for a fixed amount of specific antibody binding sites. Active enzyme converts nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to NADH, which results in an absorbance change that can be measured spectrophotometrically at 340 nm.(Package insert: DRI Ethyl Glucuronide Assay. Microgenics Corporation; 09/2015)
Day(s) Performed
Monday through Saturday
Report Available
Same day/1 to 2 daysSpecimen Retention Time
14 daysPerforming Laboratory
Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester
Test Classification
This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements. It has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.CPT Code Information
80307
LOINC Code Information
| Test ID | Test Order Name | Order LOINC Value |
|---|---|---|
| ETGS | Ethyl Glucuronide Screen, U | 58375-7 |
| Result ID | Test Result Name | Result LOINC Value |
|---|---|---|
| 63420 | Ethyl Glucuronide Screen, U | 58375-7 |