@article{ref1,
title="Rapid quantitative determination of blood alcohol concentration in the emergency department using an electrochemical method",
journal="Annals of emergency medicine",
year="1992",
author="Wax, P. M. and Hoffman, Robert S. and Goldfrank, L. R.",
volume="21",
number="3",
pages="254-259",
abstract="STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the reliability of a recently developed electrochemical meter to rapidly (within 60 seconds) measure blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in the emergency department. DESIGN: A prospective study comparing the meter data with that of immunoassay and gas chromatography criterion standards undertaken during a ten-week period. SETTING: Adult ED of a municipal hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred eighty-three consecutive patients with altered mental status or suspected alcohol intoxication. INTERVENTIONS: Each patient underwent routine phlebotomy, and blood samples were obtained for meter and immunoassay BAC determinations. The first 60% of patients also underwent gas chromatography BAC determination. RESULTS: Two hundred nineteen patients (60%) had BAC detectable by both meter and immunoassay. BAC measurement by the meter correlated strongly with immunoassay and gas chromatography determinations (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = .94; P less than .00000001 for both correlations). CONCLUSION: The electrochemical meter provides a rapid and reliable BAC measurement in the ED.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0196-0644",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}