Sensitivity of commercial Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) testing in screening for alcohol abstinence

Abstract

The '80 h Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) test' has become an idiom of the alcohol testing community, a review of the literature shows this window of detection applies only to extreme cases. EtG testing is becoming more common as a method to test for alcohol consumption in individuals who have been ordered to abstain from alcohol consumption. We tested 19 subjects using commercially available EtG kits. All urine samples collected more than 26 h after drinking had false negative results. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol.