Analysis for the presence of alcohol in the blood and urine: the need, types, rules of passage

According to the research of British scientists, alcohol, without which there is not a single celebration, is considered one of the most dangerous substances for humans. By his negative impact on humanity, he surpassed even the various narcotic substances. After all, if drugs are tried by units, then alcoholic beverages are very popular. It can be safely asserted that half of people on the Earth periodically drink alcohol, and the lion's share of this half due to alcohol got into an accident and was injured in various degrees of severity, up to a lethal outcome. Against the background of such threatening statistics, the analysis on alcohol no longer seems such a senseless undertaking. And those who are in a state of intoxication in every way trying to avoid such a survey risk the life of their own and other people.

What is so dangerous about alcohol for a person?

Without even going into the basics of the physiology and psychology of man, one can say: alcohol is dangerous already because it causes habituation in most of the adult population of the planet. According to various statistics, 75 to 87% of people over the age of 18 years at least once in their lives used alcohol. But most people liked this nectar of pleasure, and the person has repeatedly addressed him on various occasions.

But what is the reason for such sympathy? Everything is corny and simple, ethyl alcohol in the composition of alcoholic beverages can stimulate the brain centers that are responsible for the production of pleasure hormones (domamine, serotonin, endorphins). A person in a state of intoxication feels relaxed and cheerful, all problems go to the background. The feeling of relaxation and nirvana greatly dull self-control, not to mention self-criticism.

Having tumbled a glass or two, many of us feel a certain surge of strength and courage that subjectively elevates them to the position of an invincible hero. It's not for nothing that people under the influence of alcohol become instigators of fights and fights.

It turns out that alcohol is an easy and quick opportunity to relax and increase one's self-esteem (although only for a while, after having sobered up and learning about his exploits, a person often changes his opinion about himself not for the better). Why fast? Yes, because alcohol is one of the few substances that begin to be absorbed into the blood already in the stomach, and do not wait until they are met by the intestines. If you drink an alcoholic drink on an empty stomach, intoxication occurs almost instantaneously, it is only a liquid to pour into the stomach.

Some readers will ask, what is so bad an opportunity to relax and have fun? If you do not take into account the harmful effects of alcohol on the liver, kidneys, heart and other organs, in principle, nothing, if a person in a state of intoxication does not harm himself and others (does not get into a fight, does not hero, does not sit behind the wheel, does not work at machine tool, etc.).

The danger of alcohol is that, allegedly giving strength and courage, it at the same time disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses from brain neurons to muscle fibers, reducing the level of neurotransmitters. This leads to a disruption in the coordination of movement. As if the brain thinks one thing, and the arms and legs do not agree with it.

One of the functions of neurotransmitters is the processing of information from external stimuli, so we experience different emotions and behave differently in different situations. Everything is complicated by the fact that a decrease in the number of these biologically active chemicals that make up the nerve cell and are responsible for the transfer of electrochemical impulses between different cells of the nervous system leads to inhibition of the thought processes. A hindered reaction in situations where caution and concentration of attention are necessary can lead to disastrous consequences (for example, death in an accident), breakdowns in the production process, injuries, not to mention stress for other people.

It's no wonder that drunks are not allowed to take dangerous jobs, and they generally do not welcome booze on the eve of a working day. It is clear that the steering wheel in this state can not sit down in any case. Yes, but not all stop it.

You need to know that 10% of alcohol is excreted by the kidneys and lungs, the rest is on the liver. Alas, it is impossible to determine alcohol in urine or blood by eye. And the smell is not so simple. At first it may not be found, and later it can be removed with improvised means (nutmeg, parsley, coffee beans, chewing gum, preparations like "Antipolitsey"). All these funds only mask the smell, but do not stop the effects of alcohol.

Masking the traces of drinking alcohol, a person does not always realize what his actions are fraught with, what danger he presents to others and himself. To warn this danger is precisely the analysis for alcohol.

It is clear that in most people the attitude to this type of analysis is extremely negative, because the positive test result for alcohol for drivers is in fact a confirmation of their guilt during an accident. But on the other hand, if, after drinking alcohol, a person did not get behind the wheel, believing that in this condition he would cope with driving the car no worse than others, there could be no accident. And it's good if everything goes wrong with bruises and scratches.

Alcohol and tests

In principle, in order to determine the presence of ethanol in the blood does not necessarily have to undergo any special studies. The fact is that even a small  dose of alcohol can change its various characteristics. A doctor will find this even in the results of a popular general blood test, not to mention the biochemical deployed.

So, what will the blood test tell us, or rather what will be its reaction to alcohol? The first to introduce into the blood of ethanol react red blood cells - red blood cells, 95% of the mass of which is occupied by hemoglobin. The main task of hemoglobin is the transportation of oxygen to organs and tissues and carbon dioxide back into the lungs.

Ethanol is a solvent for the cell membrane of erythrocytes, resulting in loss of a part of the hemoglobin, a decrease in the rate of movement of red blood cells and their elasticity. As a result, one can observe an active process of gluing together red blood cells. In the blood test, there will be a decrease in the number of red blood cells and a decrease in the level of hemoglobin.

Fused erythrocytes form blood clots that inhibit the passage of blood through the vessels and increase its viscosity. The most interesting is that within half an hour after drinking alcohol, ethanol in small amounts helps to thin the blood, but then the situation changes to the opposite. Inasmuch as no one drinks alcohol immediately before taking the tests, the results of laboratory tests show an increased coagulability of the blood.

Together, the three above symptoms correspond to the clinical picture of body intoxication.

Even more interesting will be the biochemical blood test. Under the influence of alcohol, blood sugar levels drop dramatically, but the concentration of lactic acid and neutral fats triglycerides significantly increases. There is also an increase in the total concentration of cholesterol and GGTP protein (gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase), produced in the liver.

By the way, depending on the dose of alcohol consumed, the level of glucose in the blood can vary. If the dose was small, alcohol under the influence of liver enzymes itself is converted into glucose, it is clear that the analysis will show an increase in its level. But large doses of alcohol reduce the activity of the liver, the production of glucose decreases, which will be noted in the results of the blood test.

The load on the kidneys and liver with alcohol is so great that they begin to malfunction, and as a result, uric acid is found in the blood in excess quantities.

An identical picture will be observed when passing urine tests after an abundant washing of the body with alcohol during feasts and meetings with friends. In the results of analysis of laboratory material, you can see overestimated indicators of urinary and lactic acid, triglycerides, sugar.

In principle, such indicators can not be at any known disease doctors. The analysis indicates a high concentration of urine components. And this indicates that the organism has undergone severe intoxication. When removing toxins by the kidneys, most of the water will be lost, so urine will become concentrated.

By the way, the general analysis of urine in terms of the detection of alcohol is considered more informative than the blood test. After all, indicators of the presence of alcohol in the urine can not be attributed to any disease. With blood analysis, everything is a bit more complicated. For example, the presence in the blood of high concentrations of lactic acid (lactate) may indicate an acute left ventricular failure of the heart or a large loss of blood.

Glucose fluctuations are usually associated with the consumption of sweet foods or diabetes, and an increase in the concentration of uric acid - with gout or chronic inflammation of the joints (arthritis).

Increasing the level of GGTP in general can introduce a physician to a predicament when diagnosing, because this symptom is characteristic of atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, viral hepatitis, cerebral vascular thrombosis, hypothyroidism, severe liver and kidney dysfunction.

On the basis of only biochemistry of blood or UAC, the doctor can not with certainty judge the fact of drinking alcohol. After all, one can not exclude the possibility that a person did not drink alcohol, and changes in the quality and quantity of blood are associated with unsatisfactory state of his health against the background of a whole bunch of diseases.

The fact that alcohol radically changes the characteristics of the blood, which in turn can indicate various disorders in the body, is the reason that one of the important requirements for preparation for analysis is considered to be refusal to drink alcohol for a period of at least a day before the study. This applies not only to strong spirits, but also low-alcohol liquids, including beer, medicinal tinctures for alcohol, sweets with a filling containing alcohol in various combinations.

When you submit a special analysis for alcohol, which not only determines the presence of alcohol in the body, but also the degree of intoxication, special training is not required because of the fact that such a study is urgent. For example, a laboratory blood test can give incorrect data after 3-4 hours after drinking. Such an analysis will no longer have a demonstrative power.

As for the analysis of urine on alcohol, which, due to its cheapness and accuracy, is appointed after an accident or specifically to document the fact of intoxication in controversial situations, the picture here will be slightly different. In the urine, alcohol is delivered one to two hours after drinking, and is completely withdrawn no earlier than a day later. These indicators vary slightly depending on the age, sex and state of human health.

[1], [2], [3]

Indications for the procedure of the analysis for alcohol

Analysis for alcohol is not as rare a procedure as it seems at first glance. After all, drivers are not the only category of population who have to face the need to check the blood for the maintenance of alcohol in it. Someone this examination can break down life, and another person will save from death. Therefore, the result of the analysis on alcohol is one of the most anticipated events.

As for drivers, then they will be able to pass such an analysis in 2 cases:

• if the car became a participant in a traffic accident, because the blood test for alcohol during an accident is a mandatory procedure in the investigation of the circumstances of the tragedy.
• if as a result of a routine check on the roads, the traffic police officers had a doubt about the condition of the driver of the car stopped by them.

In both cases, the fate of the driver will depend on the result of the analysis on alcohol. And, when it comes to accidents with serious consequences, one fine and deprivation of rights can not be got off here. And if the examination proves that at the time of the accident the driver was in a state of intoxication, it is likely that he will have to temporarily change his place of residence to a state house.

As for the planned inspection, everything is not so terrible here: either to suspend from the control of the car with the need to return the rights, or the driver will solve the problem amicably with the help of "green". Without money, such questions can not be solved in any way.

By the way, in such situations, incidents often occur. The driver is absolutely sober, but the police officer claims the opposite and issues a fine. How can a chauffeur prove that he did not drink on the eve of the trip? Of course, with the help of the same analysis of alcohol given in a medical institution. The form with the results of the analysis is considered a serious document, which can not be contested by any court.

A check for blood ethanol may be necessary for someone who got into an accident with a serious injury, often requiring surgical intervention, from the scene of an accident (and not only). However, if the patient, roughly speaking, drunk the possibilities of doctors will be severely limited because of the certain probability of negative drug interaction of ethyl alcohol in the composition of alcoholic beverages with pharmaceutical preparations. If the operation is performed under anesthesia, the anesthetist should have information about the degree of alcohol intoxication.

Analysis for alcohol in the hospital is prescribed to patients with strange, inadequate behavior to clarify the cause of this condition. Decently drunk people behave no less strangely than those who are under the influence of drugs or suffer from mental disorders. In narcodispensers, the alcohol test is administered to patients who have been treated for alcoholism. Patients are trying to hide the fact of returning to their old life, but a study of the blood will still confirm the presence of alcohol in it.

In some cases, alcohol analysis can be assigned to a minor, especially if he is caught for committing hooliganism, acts of vandalism, violence, etc.

The study on the content of ethanol in the body is a routine procedure and in some enterprises, if the work is connected with danger and requires concentration of attention. The results of this study help to resolve the situation in cases of industrial injuries and to answer the question whether an enterprise should pay money to a person who violated the requirements of safety and work discipline.

As you can see, the analysis for alcohol content is quite in demand, because it often makes a decisive word in the outcome of the disputed situation. And in some cases, it is simply necessary to prove its validity.

The question of the expediency of carrying out such an important study was considered by us, it remains to be seen where it is possible to pass an analysis on alcohol, if this is necessary?

One should immediately say that even in small towns and district centers, there is at least one hospital, the laboratory of which can be contacted to submit the above analysis with a detailed interpretation of the result. In occasion of such research it is possible to address in private laboratories, the medical centers, psychoneurological or narcological clinic, branches of forensic examination. If necessary, the analysis is done directly in the hospital, where the patient was taken by an ambulance, or by a regular nurse. Police officers use alcohol testers to identify drunks behind the wheel, allowing to identify a traffic offender with a sufficient degree of accuracy.

[4], [5], [6]

Technique of the analysis for alcohol

The blood test for alcohol is a laboratory test that not only confirms the presence of ethanol in the body, but also determines the degree of intoxication, which is an important factor in court cases. After all, the concentration of ethanol in the blood depends on how adequately the person assessed the situation at the time of the incident, because everyone knows that half a bottle of vodka makes a person more cheerful, and half a cup is more bold and in some way more stupid, as there is a reassessment of one's strength.

To determine the alcohol content in the blood, the concentration of ethanol is usually expressed in ppm. 1 ppm is 0.1%, i.e. If the result of the analysis gives, for example, the figure 2 (more precisely 2.0), this indicates that in 1 liter (1000 ml) of the patient's blood, 2 ml of ethanol is detected.

The analysis for alcohol in the blood can be carried out by one of three methods:

• Widmark's method. It was developed by the Swedish forensic physician Eric Widmark at the beginning of the 20th century. The method is based on the distillation and subsequent oxidation of ethanol in a special flask using potassium dichromate. The amount of reduced potassium dichromate indicates the concentration of alcohol.

Vidmark also developed a special formula for the determination of blood alcohol content: c = A / m * r, where c is the ethanol concentration in percent, A is the amount of alcohol consumed in grams, m is, as usual, the body weight of a person in kilograms, r is the coefficient Vidmark, which depends on sex (women - 0.6, men - 0.7).

The method and formula of Widmark is more and more rarely used in forensic medicine, because it does not give very accurate results. The reason is that it does not take into account that part of alcohol, which for a number of reasons has not yet managed to reach the peripheral blood, which is used for analysis.

The Widmark method is used in laboratory studies of the blood of dead people who died as a result of an accident or injury.

• Enzymatic method. This technique has sufficient accuracy, so it is quite popular in laboratories. It is based on increasing the activity of certain enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenases), produced by the liver, under the influence of alcohol. These are special enzymes designed to break down alcohol, and they appear in the blood only if necessary. The blood of a sober person does not contain alcohol dehydrogenases.

The blood taken for analysis is divided into fractions by means of electrophoresis, and then the blood serum in a special glass container is installed in the analyzer, which in a short time gives the concentration of specific liver enzymes.

Unlike the Widmark method, enzyme analysis allows you to determine how long a person has consumed alcoholic beverages and in what quantities. For this reason, it is very popular in drug treatment clinics and is used to monitor patients undergoing treatment for alcoholism.

• A variety of enzyme research is the analysis of CDT for alcohol. This is an innovative and very expensive method, used to detect chronic alcoholism. It is similar to the above method. When alcoholism in the blood serum is detected by a specific indirect marker - carbohydrate deficient transferrin, it is also CDT.

This method is not intended to diagnose irregular alcohol use and is not used for severe liver damage, as well as for menstruation or pregnancy in women, because in these cases it gives an incorrect result. It is used mainly in drug dispensaries. Nevertheless, sometimes it is resorted to in forensic medicine when dealing with cases of an accident.

• Method of gas chromatography. This is the most expensive, but at the same time, the most accurate blood test for alcohol. It must be said that the apparatus for analysis and the reagents attached to it are of high value.

A sample of blood is placed in a glass container and sent by means of a special device to the evaporator. The liquid part (blood) evaporates, and then with the help of a chromatograph, the remaining air in the flask containing alcohol vapors is studied.

With methods of conducting a blood test for alcohol, we sorted out, but the question remained: how to properly draw blood for analysis.

So, for analysis on alcohol, only venous blood is used, which is taken with a syringe. 2-4 ml of blood is usually enough to conduct research. The site of a puncture on the skin should not be disinfected with solutions containing alcohol. Medical personnel should use sterile latex gloves and prepared test tubes during manipulation.

Serum for enzyme assays can be stored for no more than 10 days at a temperature not exceeding 8 degrees.

How is the urine test for alcohol?

The analysis of urine on the content of ethanol is not specific. This is a general and biochemical analysis of the physiological fluid released through the urinary system. The urine should be collected in a sterile container and delivered to the laboratory no later than 12-24 hours after the incident. In order to avoid the possibility of falsification of results, the collection of material for research is sometimes required directly in the laboratory. If a person is sober, alcohol in the urine is not detected.

Alas, sometimes a person used to drink alcohol on the eve of an accident or other incident or not enough. In such cases, resort to a special laboratory study, which is called  HTI analysis for alcohol. This is a chemical-toxicological study of blood, which is prescribed for the detection of drug or alcohol intoxication. With his help, you can determine the type of poisons that caused severe intoxication, for example, if the patient is unable to explain what drugs or alcohol drinks he used.

The advantages of this method in comparison with blood tests for alcohol are:

• the accuracy of determining the concentration of alcohol and drugs in the urine,
• availability of biomaterial and ease of its production,
• analysis can be conducted in any medical laboratory,
• it is not necessary to take tests several times when confirming the presence of alcohol in the blood, the amount of biomaterial taken at a time is sufficient for conducting repeated and extended analyzes, if necessary.

The chemical-toxicological analysis of urine for alcohol includes:

1. gas-liquid chromatography,
2. enzyme immunoassay (using special  test strips for alcohol  and drugs, which are colored in burgundy color, if there are narcotic substances in the urine),
3. mass spectrometry (the presence of 2 continuous strips indicates that there are no narcotic substances in the human body, to which ethanol is also classified).

The first 2 studies allow to determine with a high accuracy the presence of alcohol in the urine, the latter - specifies the concentration of ethanol and the degree of intoxication.

Collection of biological material should be carried out in such a way as to exclude its substitution. To test for alcohol, enough 50 ml of urine (this is the necessary minimum), which must be collected in a sterile container with a wide neck and tightly closed lid.

The urine in the laboratory should be delivered within 2 days, the later treatment will have low informativeness. The research itself is conducted within 4 days.

Alcohol test in saliva and exhaled air

So far, we have talked about laboratory methods for detecting ethanol in biological fluids. These are more or less precise methods of analysis for alcohol, the documented results of which are recognized in the courts. But these methods do not allow you to immediately answer the question: a sober person or is in a state of intoxication. They take a certain amount of time, sometimes even up to 4 days.

But, stopping the driver on the road, the patrol can not unfoundedly accuse him of drunken driving, as well as should not unsubstantially guide a person to laboratory tests. It's another matter if an express analysis for alcohol was made, which gave a positive result.

A road patrol to prevent the consequences of driving while intoxicated often uses devices that detect vapors of ethanol in the exhaled air. Methods of detecting ethanol, which got into the body through the stomach, as is usually the case with the use of alcoholic beverages, and found subsequently in the whole body, including the respiratory system, quite a lot. But the most common is a  test for alcohol in the form of a tube, it is also an electronic method (known to all the tube with a tip connected to a measuring device). A little less popular method is the "balloon".

In the latter case, people are asked to take a deep breath and completely release air from the lungs into the air balloon cavity, after which the exhaled air is launched into a glass test tube with yellow crystals grouped together. If a person used alcohol shortly before driving, individual groups of crystals begin alternating color to green. It is permissible to change 1 or 2 groups of crystalline substance inside the tube, if the color of the 3 groups is changed, it is a question of slight intoxication with disturbances in coordination of movement and attention.

Pass the test in the exhaled air not earlier than a quarter of an hour after consuming alcohol-containing beverages. The reliability of the results may affect nicotine, but after waiting only a minute after the act of smoking, the test can be carried out without worrying about the accuracy of the indicators.

If ethanol for some time after drinking alcohol can be found in the blood, urine, exhaled air, then in the saliva and even more so. Moreover, alcohol is taken through the mouth, where saliva is produced. But this factor and does not allow to determine with a high accuracy quantitative indicators of the ethanol content in the body.

The fact is that some part of ethanol always settles on the oral mucosa, where it can persist for up to 2 hours. In addition, ethanol can react with saliva with the formation of acidic products, which can again affect the accuracy of the result, giving inflated rates. And even rinsing the mouth with water does not give the desired effect. Another thing is if you add a little acetic acid to the water.

The test for alcohol in saliva is expedient to spend with the purpose of revealing the fact of acceptance of alcohol the day before an event, which is usually quite enough. Quantitative indicators of alcohol content are better checked by other methods.

Analysis for alcohol by saliva can be carried out both in the laboratory and mobile. The laboratory study of saliva is complicated by the difficulties of preserving it in its original form, because it is not always possible to do the analysis at the time of delivery. But the use of mobile test options does not cause difficulties.

For today there are various variants of the test for alcohol on a saliva: "Alko-screen", "Alkosensor", "Alcotest-FactorM" and others. Let's consider features of application of the express analysis on the basis of the  test for alcohol "Alko-screen".

At the heart of the procedure for the almost instantaneous determination of the alcohol content in the body, a specific oxidative reaction with the participation of the enzyme alcohols oxidase is based on the saliva, as a result of which the alcohol decomposes into aldehyde and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide under the influence of the enzyme of the thyroid gland peroxidase once again decomposes into components that cause oxidation and chromogen changes in color. By intensity and color of coloring by means of a color scale it is possible to judge the concentration of alcohol in saliva.

Express analysis for alcohol is issued as a test strip for single use. Some variants of an alkotester may contain more than one strip, but several. For example, "Alcosensor" in the package can have a container with 25 strips, which you need to quickly and tightly close each time you get a test strip.

With the help of one-time tests for alcohol in saliva, you can determine the alcohol content from 0.0 to 2.0 ppm. The color scale of the dough has 5 color zones, according to which the degree of intoxication is judged.

The touch element of the rapid test is very sensitive to touching, so avoid contact with the skin. It determines the presence in the body of methanol, ethanol and propanol. Not sensitive to acetone and other types of alcohol, which makes it possible to more accurately analyze in patients with diabetes mellitus, which increased the production of acetone.

Alco-tests are easy to use and give a quick result. The strip is removed from the package and immersed in a saliva sample placed in a clean, better glass dish (for example, a test tube). If the saliva sample is placed on a flat surface, the strip is rotated with the sensor element down and applied to the biomaterial. The contact of the dough sensor and saliva should be carried out for 5-10 seconds, after which the strip is shaken off or blotted with a paper towel, and then placed on a clean surface for developing the sensor upwards. It should be ensured that during the analysis the sensor does not get sunlight.

Before the test, if alcohol was drunk within 2 hours before the test, rinse the mouth with water and add a few drops of vinegar. A positive test result is said if the test strip has changed its color. If there is no alcohol in the body, the color of the strip remains unchanged. In the case of staining only the outer limits of the sensory element, the analysis is repeated with a new strip, but it is already closely monitored that the sensor is completely moistened with saliva.

The analysis is carried out under room temperature conditions. The tester removed from the packaging can be stored for no more than 20 minutes.

Tests for the detection of alcohol in saliva can be used by drug treatment services, "ambulance", the admissions departments of hospitals, transport companies and simply interested people.

[7], [8], [9], [10], [11]

Test for alcohol at home

Today on chemist's shelves, and also in some shops it is possible to find the most various alkotesterov and test strips, which can be purchased by anyone. Neither the doctor's conclusion nor the prescription for this is needed. The seller will not even inquire about the purpose of this acquisition, because the rapid methods of determining alcohol in biological media have been widely used, and not only in the police or in the industry.

The availability of the method and the absence of the need to go to the laboratory attract many caring parents who have children of adolescence. After all, a teenager is, in fact, a child who hastens to know all the delights of adult life, including alcohol. And under the influence of ethanol, boys and girls sometimes do such deeds, they regret about which they then have to spend the rest of their lives.

Executed negativism and protest, adolescents are very reluctant to go to the laboratory to analyze, while trying to falsify the results by any forces if the place is a place for alcohol or drugs. Express tests sometimes become the only way for parents to learn the truth and take the necessary measures. After pharmacy tests for alcohol can be successfully used and at home, especially if the degree of intoxication does not matter.

By the way, such measurements will prove useful to owners of private cars, which on the eve of spoiled themselves with alcoholic beverages. Alcohol in the body does not last forever, its concentration gradually decreases. With an accuracy to determine at what point it will be within the permissible rate is impossible even for special tables that are on the Internet. But the stripes and alcohol testers, which are used and the traffic police, will definitely say whether to take risks or better wait a little longer before driving.

It is clear that it is not necessary to count especially on the accuracy of the results of test strips, which we wrote about above, but if there is alcohol in the body, they will definitely identify it. However, for greater reliability, use them not earlier than 15 minutes after taking alcohol. It should be noted that a positive test result for alcohol can also occur if a person took medications and herbal liquors containing ethyl alcohol the day before, and even if he just rinsed the tooth with vodka and spit it out (there is such a not so popular method for treating toothache) .

By the way, as the biological material for the test strips being examined, it is possible to take not only saliva, but urine collected in a sterile, better glass container.

Another variant of primitive alcohol testers is a special disposable tube with a substance indicator, to which a respiratory bottle, a mouthpiece and a device for opening the tube, which is initially sealed from both ends, is attached. Through the mouthpiece placed on the tube, a person blows the balloon to the limit and watches the change in the color of the indicator crystals (a more modern version of the test with a balloon). If the crystals turn green, then alcohol is present in the body. By intensity of coloring, it is possible to draw definite conclusions about the degree of intoxication.

Analysis of alcohol at home can be done with the help of electronic alcohol testers, which determine the presence of alcohol in the exhaled air. These are devices for reusable use that can be used both permanently and in mobile environments.

Electronic Breathalyzer is a device equipped with a small tube and a sensor. Portable devices are most often equipped with a semiconductor indicator, which must periodically be adjusted in accordance with environmental conditions. Individual alkotester is designed for 2-3 measurements per day and has a significant error.

In an individual order, you can use special indicators with bulbs of three colors, as at a traffic light. Exact figures from them do not have to be demanded, but even such a primitive analysis will be enough to determine whether it is worthwhile to sit behind the wheel.

There are also professional instruments (number of measurements from 150 to 200 and even 300). Typically, these devices are equipped with an electrochemical sensor, providing a minimum error. The cost of the devices is quite high, so they are used mainly in the work of the traffic police.

Infrared sensors with high accuracy are placed on devices operated in the laboratory. The reliability of the result of such devices depends on the air temperature, at the same time they need much more information processing.

Stationary alcohol testers can be found in clubs.

Rules for passing the test for alcohol

This paragraph will be particularly interesting to those who, by the will of fate, are connected with cars-drivers. After all, from the results of the analysis on alcohol, it sometimes depends whether a person can continue driving a car or will be deprived of his rights for a period of 1 to 2 years, whether he will have to pay a fine or for this there will be no reason.

It often happens that a person does not even drink, and the alcohol test of a police officer claims the opposite. To prove your case, you need to know the rules and the order of passing the test for alcohol.

Yes, you can confidently and decisively right on the spot to prove that you did not drink, and if this is really so, and the patrolman simply wanted to earn some money, the question is likely to be settled. Additional expertise will not be required. But in this case, their rights to know will not hurt.

The fact is that for a survey on alcohol should be a good reason. The patrolman can not at his whim force the driver to blow into the tube or do a laboratory analysis.

The following are considered as the basis for the alcohol test:

• odor of alcohol from the mouth,
• inconsistent, prolonged speech,
• incorrect behavior: inadequate behavior, excessive familiarity, rudeness, impudence, etc.,
• unstable posture, apparent impairment of coordination,
• a complexion that indicates increased blood flow under the influence of alcohol,
• the fact of drinking while driving, even if it is known from the words of another person,
• Accident involving the car of the detainee.

If there are no compelling reasons for carrying out the alcohol test, and the tests confirm this, the driver has the right to apply to the court regarding the incorrect behavior of the traffic police officer himself.

In the case of an accident, the analysis of alcohol is considered mandatory. It can be carried out both at the scene and in the laboratory. If the driver is injured, he can insist on an examination in the hospital, where they will conduct an analysis for alcohol according to all existing rules.

Testing for alcohol content in the blood has the right to conduct either a road patrol employee with a special device, or a health worker in a hospital setting. In villages and district centers, as a rule, the district police officer is engaged in this. If the survey is conducted after an accident, the signatures of two witnesses present during the test are mandatory under the protocol. The presence of two witnesses is a mandatory requirement for an analysis of alcohol, even if the cause of stopping the car was not an accident.

The on-site survey should be conducted in accordance with the procedure established by law:

1. The inspector of the patrol service should introduce himself and inform the driver of the reason for the detention of the car. If an offense has been committed, the driver should notify her and offer to be tested for alcohol. If a person refuses to analyze, he is considered guilty of driving while intoxicated.
2. In the presence of 2 witnesses a protocol is drawn up, which should indicate the reasons for the detention and possible symptoms of alcohol intoxication. Witnesses with their signatures confirm the truth of the written.
3. Then follows a mobile analysis for alcohol. However, before that, the traffic police officer should explain to the driver the specifics and rules of the test, as well as present the necessary documents for the device, confirming its registration and verification. Next, the device is put on a new mouthpiece, and the driver is asked to blow into the tube.
4. If the result of an alkotester does not exceed 0.2 ppm, a corresponding entry is made in the protocol, which is filled in 2 copies. The second copy of the report is given by the patrol to the driver and releases him, unless, of course, he has other suspicious symptoms indicating intoxication or serious health problems. Otherwise, the driver is taken to the hospital, leaving his car on the sidelines.

A positive analysis on alcohol requires a further decision of the fate of the driver in court. The patrol inspector notifies the driver of the result, shows the device and asks whether the person agrees with the test results. A corresponding note is made in the protocol.

If the driver agrees with the results of the test, he puts his signature under the protocol and can be free until the time of appearance appears in court. He does not have the right to sit down.

If the person does not agree with the results, then after marking the protocol, he is given a referral for examination to the medical institution, indicating all the details of the incident and the number of the alcohol test with which preliminary analysis was carried out. The patrol inspector is obliged to deliver the driver to the specified medical institution on his car.

The alkotester used should be equipped with a device that allows printing the results of the analysis on paper, which is an important document when going to court. The check is printed in 2 copies, which are attached to the protocol and its copies.

Upon arrival in the hospital, the inspector should have a completed protocol without indicating the readings of the breathalyzer and referral for an examination in the hospital. The narcologist examines the patient for signs of intoxication (12 points). After 20 minutes, a second inspection should be carried out.

During the examination, the detainee is taken samples of biological fluids for the analysis of alcohol. Samples should be taken in 2 copies. One is used for the current verification, the other is retained for 90 days in case of a re-examination necessary for the trial.

The doctor must give a conclusion about the results of the study in 3 copies, one of which remains in the hospital for reporting. The results of the medical examination are entered into the protocol, regardless of whether they coincide with the readings of the alkotester.

The results of a medical analysis for alcohol in the presence of both parties (the driver and the inspector) are voiced. If the analysis shows that the person is sober, the patrolman has no right to detain him any longer, even if the tester has shown the opposite. Otherwise, the car is blocked and not sent to the penalty area, and the driver will have to appear before the court.

The court will recognize the results of the alcohol test as invalid if at least one of its points has been violated.

Normal performance

Since we are considering different kinds of alcohol analysis, and the material for the study is completely different biological environments (blood, urine, saliva, exhaled air), one should take into account that the presence and concentration of ethanol in them can differ in time. For example, alcohol and alcohol get into the blood and saliva much faster than in the urine, but in the urine it lasts longer, and with chronic abuse of alcohol, the remains are found even after a couple of months.

Now, with regard to concentration. If we speak about the presence of alcohol in the blood of the researcher, the permissible ethanol content of drivers and people involved in hazardous work is 0.2 ppm. In this case, a person is recognized as sober and claims to him can not be.

For urine, this figure is 0.1 ppm, for exhaled air - 0.16 ppm. Officially, only the last figure is noted in the legislation.

Let's return to the analysis of blood and urine tests. According to the table approved by the Ministry of Health, a person who has alcohol in the blood (urine) in the amount of 0 to 3.0 ppm is considered sober. It is this ethanol that the human body itself produces.

If the alcohol content in the biological fluids is recorded in the range from 0.3 to 1.0 ppm, a state of slight intoxication or euphoria is diagnosed, in which the processes of coordination of movements and perception are slowed down. This is a very dangerous state, because it is characterized by self-confidence and unjustified courage. In this state, a person considers himself absolutely sober and adequate, which is not true.

Alcohol intoxication to 2.0 ppm is considered an average degree of intoxication with a delayed response and an inability to adequately assess the situation. Higher rates indicate ethanol poisoning and require immediate medical attention.

For the analysis of CDT on alcohol, the norms are different. A positive result, indicating chronic alcoholism, is considered CDT more than 1.3%. At the same time, indices in the range of 1.3-1.6% are considered controversial ("gray zone"). If the analysis gave such a result, a person can make a second study 3-4 weeks later.

A CDT reading of less than 1.3% is considered a negative result, but it does not exclude the possibility that a person drinks spirits irregularly.

It must be said that the permissible levels of alcohol in biological fluids may differ depending on the region of residence. Periodically, they are subject to revision. Therefore, in controversial situations, we need to look for fresh information on this issue.

[12], [13], [14], [15], [16]

Non-alcoholic beer and alcohol test

The question is, is it possible to get drunk with non-alcoholic beer, excites many drivers. After all, non-alcoholic beer is only called, in fact, it contains alcohol, although in very small quantities - less than 1% (usually 0.4-0.7%). In this connection, one more question arises: will the presence in the blood of ethanol show the alcohol traffic policeman if the driver at the wheel pampers himself with a non-alcoholic beer?

Situations associated with the use of this drink at the wheel, were different. Someone managed to successfully pass the analysis for alcohol, and the police had no complaints against them. And at others the test for alcohol gave a positive result, which markedly reduced the number of notes in the wallet.

As a result of numerous studies, it was clarified that the result on the display of the breathalyzer is proportional to the amount of drink consumed and the time of measurement. For example, if a driver drank 1-1.25 liters of non-alcoholic beer on the road, and after 10 minutes he was stopped by a road patrol and tested for alcohol, the result is likely to be negative.

It's another matter if a beer lover, as is usually the case, does not stop there, but drinks 2-2.5 liters of frothy "non-alcoholic" and the police stop him immediately. Alotester in this case can show 0,9-0,11 ppm, which indicates a mild degree of intoxication with reflex reflexes and inhibited reaction.

It turns out that non-alcoholic beer is not such a safe product, and you need to think about whether to drink it at the wheel or give preference to other types of drinks that do not contain alcohol.

How to cheat the test for alcohol?

Whatever innovative devices for carrying out analysis for alcohol produced by industry, our cunning people will still find different ways to deceive them. But you need to understand that the results of the analysis of blood, urine or saliva on alcohol, conducted in the laboratory, can be faked only by substituting biomaterial or bribing medical personnel.

To deceive professional alcohol testers used by road patrol officers is also very problematic. Numerous methods, such as chewing gum, cups of coffee, spoons and other sunflower oil, pinch of nutmeg, chocolate, seeds and cinnamon will at best take away the smell from the mouth or affect metabolism, slowing down absorption or accelerating the excretion of ethanol from the body, hardly noticeable.

The same applies to the reception of activated carbon, ascorbic acid, water with citric acid, the drug "Antipolitsey". All such methods work until the time comes to blow the tube. With their help, it is really only possible to slightly reduce the number of promills if the indicator is within the boundary limits. Remember that the permissible norm of ethanol in the exhaled air is 0.16 ppm, which can speak more about the residues in the body of alcohol, which was drunk at least a day before the analysis.

The most effective way to slightly affect the result of an alkotester is the method of hyperventilation of the lungs. Those. Before breathing in the tube, you need to take a few deep breaths and exhalations, as if clearing the airways from the molecules of ethanol, entering the lungs and bronchi from the blood, for a short time.

But even here you need to take into account such a moment that you can hold back your breath a little, you can reduce all efforts to nothing. This method works, but mostly on devices with a semiconductor display, which police inspectors can only appear at their will (and bought for their own money). But in this case, they may already be initially adjusted not in favor of drivers, so try not to try, but you will be guilty.

The professional devices used in the police are unlikely to be deceived even in this way. Not to mention the fresheners of the mouth. They will not reduce, and in some cases (if they contain alcohol) and vice versa will increase the readings of the breathalyzer.

In general, as for the analysis on alcohol, it is important not to deceive someone, and not to be deceived. Not only that dishonest police officers can try to divide you for money in every possible way. It is quite possible to deceive yourself, not knowing what can affect the results of research on alcohol.

So, what can distort the testimony of various alcohol tests:

• taking medications on alcohol or containing some amount of ethanol,
• accidental use of poisonous substances, which have in the composition of methyl alcohol,
• such a disease as diabetes, if the level of acetone is increased, and the device is sensitive to acetone,
• the amount drunk (the more it is, the worse the result)
• the speed of acceptance of "per capita" (the faster the portion of alcohol was consumed, the higher the figure would be in the blood)
• strength alcohol (if the "low-alcohol" is not able to significantly affect the test result, then strong drinks are quite capable of this); The fastest drinks in the blood are drinks of medium strength,
• malfunction of the instrument on which the study is being conducted.

It is necessary to know that in people with a lot of weight, the tester's readings may be lower because of the excess in the body of water, which dilutes alcohol. And in people aged, the indices can be higher than in young people due to the peculiarities of metabolism. In women, free water in the body is less than in men (it is associated in fat cells, which have a weaker sex), so the ethanol in the blood and in the exhaled air can be slightly overestimated, which sometimes contribute to women's hormones (estrogen).

Theoretically, some beverages and foods can give a positive result on the alkotester, from the use of which it is better to refrain before driving. We are talking about shop juices, kvass, oranges, bananas, overripe fruits, fermented milk products that can cause fermentation with the release of ethanol, and especially koumiss, which gives values even higher than non-alcoholic beer. Not the fact that the use of the above products will affect the result of research on alcohol, but is it worth the risk. And then try to prove that you did not drink alcohol.

Analysis for alcohol in the laboratory may be incorrect if the requirements for collecting and storing the biomaterial, as well as for violation of the research technology, were not observed. For example, a blood test taken from a vein can show better results if the skin is treated with alcohol before piercing, which is unacceptable. But knowing what can affect the result of the research, you can try to exclude these factors and monitor the progress of the analysis so that the result does not sin against the truth, causing bewilderment and protest.