Alcohol urine test

Overview

The test method inquestion is also known as the screening,and represents a type of medical analysis of a person’s urine sample for thepurpose of discovering the presence of alcohol, which would reveal if theperson in question has been drinking or not. In addition, this method can alsobe employed to establish the exact time frame within which this person hasconsumed alcohol. It is also one of the ways authorities (i.e. the court) cankeep track if a person who has been ordered to “lay off the booze” is actually followingthis order in a consistent manner. Having standard urine test in mind, it needsto be pointed out that its main purpose is to discover the presence of alcoholconcentrating on the time span of 6 to 24 hours after the person in question hasconsumed it. For this test to be successful, this person is required to providea urine sample discharged into a sterile container. After this hasbeen done properly, by means of a detecting card, alcohol presence is determined.But this is not the final phase, for this is also verified in a laboratory,where results are to be verified before presented officially.

Effectiveness

The efficiency of theurine test depends on quite a number of factors, which can influence to a greatextent its successfulness. For one, the time stretch encompassing the moment alcohol was consumed up until the moment it was detected by an alcohol test is the most significant among all the factors, and theone that will influence those final results immensely. When the chemicalsubstance is finally discovered (which can take up to two hours), the testing for avariety of durations is also performed for the purpose of getting more preciseresults. Yet another quite important part of the initial urine test is theextension test, whose goal is to discover the presence of Ethyl glucuronide inthe person’s urine, i.e. a chemical substance known to be one of the byproductsof alcohol, previously metabolized by the person’s body. This way, it can bediscovered if alcohol has been consumed over a much longer period of time – 80hall the way to five days, giving a much better overall image of the person’salcohol consumption and habit. But, due to fairly expensive equipment, the testin question is far less employed.

This specific test isregarded as the most frequently employed by numerous agencies andcompanies that seek to discover if their employees are performing work choresunder the influence of alcohol, or even if they are drinking it during workinghours. Another reason for its frequent employment is the fact that such a testis extremely easy to conduct, for no professional staff is required since urinesamples can be acquired easily, and then sent on to the official laboratory fortesting.