Assessment of ethanol intoxication and regulatory issues

Testing for ethanol abuse is performed by clinical laboratories and by emer gency medicine and law enforcement personnel. Although the definitive appro ach to determine ethanol intoxication for clinical or medicolegal purposes is whole blood analysis by gas chromatography, most laboratories anti other testing facilities do not have such capabilities. In the clinical laborato ry, ethanol is measured routinely in serum or plasma by using high-volume o r benchtop analyzers. However, point-of-care testing devices can be used to screen other biologic fluids and breath, Many alternative devices have bee n approved by the US Department,of Transportation and, thus have become pop ular for; workplace testing in the private sector. Breath-alcohol analysis is the most popular means for determining impairment in medicolegal setting by law enforcement agencies.