[Effects of additives in blood collection tubes on testing the alcohol concentration in blood samples].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To discuss blood collection tubes with different additives and their effects on the testing results of alcohol concentration in blood samples. METHODS: Blood samples from 10 volunteers were collected 2 hours after drinking with seven different types of disposable vacuum blood collection tubes, including ordinary tube without anticoagulant, coagulant tube, separating gel-coagulant tube, sodium citrate (14) tube, sodium citrate (19) tube, sodium citrate (91) tube and EDTA-K2 tube. The alcohol concentrations in these blood samples were analyzed by headspace gas chromatography. RESULTS: The concentration testing results of the same blood samples in different types of tubes were different from one to another. The sequence was as follows separating gel-coagulant tube > coagulant tube > ordi- nary tube without anticoagulant > EDTA-K2 tube> sodium citrate (19) tube> sodium citrate (14) tube, whereas the results of the same blood sample in sodium citrate (19) tube and sodium citrate (91) tube showed no obvious difference. CONCLUSION: It is better to collect a suspicious drunk driver's blood sam- ple using a disposable vacuum blood collection tube, with the EDTA-K2 tube being preferred.