Question:

Does anyone know if a hemolyzed blood sample will effect the alcohol level in someone's blood?

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I'm wondering if when someone gets their blood alcohol level tested, if hemolysis will falsely elevate or lower the actual blood ETOH level.

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  1. In short NO. There is no active transport of alcohol into the red cell and metabolism within the cell of the alcohol would only minimally affect the level.

    Where error can occur is when the colorimetric assay is performed and if the hemoglobin within the cells could fool the reader into thinking that there is more of the dye produced in the reaction with the alcohol. But current ethanol testing is not affected by hemoglobin or whole red cells.

    Old Doc


  2. yeah, it does.  thats why the blood needs to be drawn into a special ETOH sample tube, which contains a white residue which stops alcohol metabolism.  I forgot the name of the white stuff.

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