The main step in the rapid treatment of any disease is the diagnosis. Timely laboratory tests allow us to give the most accurate information about the course of the disease. To achieve this, preparatory measures are needed. Most of our compatriots have a natural interest: how does ethanol affect the accuracy of analyzes?
Does alcohol affect the blood test?
Alcohol can changeblood composition:
- reduction in red blood cell count and hemoglobin,
- reduction of urea content,
- lower lactate levels,
- lowering glucose levels,
- increase the percentage of triacylglycerols.
Alcohol is able to make the blood more viscous, increase the degree of thrombosis. The increase in the number of adherent cells and red blood cells can be interpreted as megaloblastic anemia.
The biggest deviations in case you drink alcohol before taking tests, shows the biochemistry of the blood. The decrease in uric acid is a consequence of a violation of the circulatory mechanism. The increase in the concentration of triacylglycerols - indicates the presence of ischemia or hepatitis.
In order not to mislead doctors after alcohol tests, when receiving a referral it is necessary to inform the specialist about this condition.
In addition to distorting test results, alcohol can disrupt the operation of devices in the laboratory. The effect of the reagents on ethanol disturbs the blood sugar level, as a result of which it is impossible to start the treatment of diabetes in time.
How alcohol affects tests
Ethanol is not the main condition that must be eliminated before going to the lab. Not only smoking or eating before the test, drinking alcohol can reduce the accuracy of the instruments.
Distortion of the assay under the influence of ethanol may render the diagnosis ineffective. The more alcohol consumed, the less objective the result will be.
General analysis
Exposure to alcohol can skew the resultsthus:
- destroy red blood cells,
- increase cholesterol levels sometimes by 80%,
- decrease in hemoglobin levels as the concentration of red blood cells also decreases.
If you take alcohol just before this test, then the number of red blood cells (red blood cells that transport oxygen to all organs or tissues and the return of carbon dioxide) is most likely to be reduced.
Alcohol dissolves the membranes of red blood cells, which prevents their natural chaotic movement and reduces repulsion. Red blood cells begin to clump together. Their concentration in plasma decreases, which leads to a decrease in hemoglobin parameters. The accumulation of red blood cells leads to the appearance of blood clots and a decrease in the microcirculation of blood in the vessel.
The blood becomes thicker after the alcohol gets inside. Its ability to penetrate the lumen of the capillaries decreases due to the appearance of clots. This situation is dangerous to human health and life and prevents a complete examination of the composition of the blood.
In the liver, under the influence of alcohol, lipid production decreases. This reduces the characteristics of the plasma. Such indicators play a major role in the period when the patient is preparing for surgery. Accurate analysis is essential to ensure that the patient's health is monitored when he has had a serious infectious disease or during the healing of large wound surfaces.
Blood tests were takenin less than 12 hoursafter drinking alcohol, can accurately show only general intoxication. Decreased hemoglobin indicates only megaloblastic anemia. But the doctor may refuse to make a diagnosis, citing the patient's recent alcohol intake.
Biochemical parameters
Alcohol has the strongest effect on the biochemical blood test. This analysis is the most complete. With it you can find out which substances are urgently needed by a person and which are many and you urgently need to reduce their concentration.
The result of a biochemical test under the influence of alcohol changesthus:
- the amount of urea in the blood decreases,
- the data on the absorption of oxygen by the cells of the body are disturbed,
- the quantitative indicators of glucose suffer.
The latter factor can be life-threatening for the patient, as the diagnosis of diabetes is late.
The increased background of urea is also caused by alcohol intake. Distorted indicators of its content can hide severe circulatory disease, leading to hemorrhagic shock or acute heart failure. Because urea is involved in nitrogen excretion, its increased concentration is a sign of gout and polyarthritis. The accuracy of the diagnosis can be satisfactory only with abstinence from alcohol before testing.
Drinking alcohol before the procedure can cause an increase in triacylglycerol in the blood. This neutral fatty substance, found in the bloodstream, shows pathological processes,such as:
- atherosclerosis,
- ischemia,
- cerebral artery thrombosis,
- viral hepatitis.
Most doctors, for reasons of principle, exclude alcohol-containing drugs before taking blood from a patient. But alcohol is thought to help detect the presence of an infectious disease. But even the smallest dose of ethanol distorts the test results and makes it unsuitable for the doctor.
According to the stories of nurses and doctors, most people do not admit to drinking alcohol before testing. Another side factor that occurs when examining people who drank alcohol the day beforeare:
- fainting,
- severe headaches
- nausea.
The volume of blood taken from the body by a vein is negligible. Losing it is not a problem for a person. But if the patient comes for tests after drinking alcohol, usually the metabolism is disturbed and the blood circulation in the brain is reduced.
Intake of a vein can lead to oxygen starvation of the brain. This can cause severe dizziness or fainting. The patient may then have a headache for a long time.
Alcohol poisoning can upset the digestive tract. The patient may vomit in the doctor's office or in the laboratory from the smell of alcohol or chlorine used for disinfection.
Glucose test
Testing the amount of glucose in the blood is necessary for people suffering from endocrine diseases. Blood is taken from soil. If the patient drinks liquids containing alcohol before taking blood, his blood becomes thicker, the pressure drops. This makes it difficult to get blood and increases the risk of thrombosis.
Exposure to alcohol is a negative factor for liver cells. In addition, it has a negative effect on laboratory apparatus and reagents. This makes the result inaccurate. The sugar level can be increased or decreased compared to the actual state of affairs.
One gram of alcohol can change the number of kcal by 7 upwards, which is explained by the rapid penetration of ethanol into tissues and body fluids. Sugar levels in this case increase.
Alcohol causes low sugar levels.About 2, 5 hoursstable blood sugar data are provided by carbohydrates from food. During the rest of the period, glucose is produced by the liver, which attracts the body's energy resources. Alcohol disrupts normal metabolic processes and causes hypoglycemia.
Blood sugar levels return to normalafter 1 or 2 days. . . If the patient is at risk of diabetes, then it is important that he gives the doctor a normal picture. In another case, the doctor will attribute high sugar levels to drinking alcohol. The period in which health can improve will be missed.
Can I drink alcohol before the test?
No way. Alcohol changes the test result. The most important thing is to completely give up drinking alcohol-containing fluids before major surgery.
Sometimes a small amount of alcohol can be taken before the tests. The doctor will discuss this condition with the patient at the appointment in an individual conversation.
But in any case, the recipient must stop drinking alcohol forty-eight hours before the analysis. During this period, the human body gets the opportunity to recover.
In a study for HIV, hepatitis B or C, as well as syphilis, the period of time during which the patient must be completely sober increases to 72 hours. Otherwise the result of the analysis will be distorted.
If the laboratory technician or doctor receives information that the patient drank before the tests, the blood donation is postponed. If the information appears later, the analysis is repeated when acetaldehyde is no longer present in the bloodstream.
The only option where alcohol will not affect the result is considered to be an analysis of alcohol intoxication, which is performed among drivers and certain categories of workers. This test is performed without preparation or warning to obtain an objective picture. In any other case, you can only drink water before taking the test.