The main step in the rapid treatment of any disease is diagnosis. Laboratory tests performed on time 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:
- reduce the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin indicators,
- reduce urea content,
- lower lactate levels,
- lower glucose levels,
- increase the percentage of triacylglycerol.
Alcohol can make the blood viscous, increase its rate of thrombosis. An increase in the number of adhesive cells and red blood cells can be interpreted as megaloblastic anemia.
The biggest deviations in the case of drinking alcohol before tests are shown by blood biochemistry. The decrease in uric acid is a consequence of a violation of the circulatory mechanism. Increased concentration of triacylglycerol - indicates the presence of ischemia or hepatitis.
In order for tests after alcohol not to mislead doctors, it is necessary to inform specialists about this condition when receiving a referral.
In addition to disrupting test results, alcohol can disrupt the operation of devices in the laboratory. The action of the reagent on ethanol disrupts blood sugar levels, making it impossible to start treatment for diabetes mellitus on time.
How alcohol affects tests
Ethanol is not the main condition that should be eliminated before going to the laboratory. Not only do you smoke or eat before the test, but also consuming alcohol can reduce the accuracy of the instruments.
Distortion of the analysis under the influence of ethanol may make the diagnosis ineffective. The more alcohol consumed, the less objective the result will be.
General analysis
Alcohol exposure can disrupt the resultsso:
- destroy red blood cells,
- increase cholesterol levels sometimes by 80%,
- reduce the level of hemoglobin, because the concentration of red blood cells also decreases.
If you take alcohol immediately before this analysis, then the number of red blood cells (red blood cells that carry oxygen to all organs or tissues and the return transport of carbon dioxide) is most likely to decrease.
Alcohol dissolves the membranes of red blood cells, which prevents their natural random movement and reduces repulsion. Red blood cells begin to stick. Their concentration in plasma decreases, which leads to a decrease in hemoglobin parameters. The collection 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 enters. Its ability to penetrate the lumen of capillaries is reduced due to the formed clots. This situation is dangerous for human health and life and makes it impossible to fully study 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 big role in the period when the patient is preparing for surgery. Accurate analysis is necessary to ensure monitoring of the patient's health when he was suffering from a serious infectious disease or during the healing of large areas of the wound.
Blood tests takenin less than 12 hoursafter drinking alcohol can accurately show only general intoxication. Decreased hemoglobin shows only megaloblastic anemia. But the doctor may refuse to make a diagnosis, citing the patient's recent alcohol intake.
Biochemical indicators
Alcohol has the strongest effect on a biochemical blood test. This analysis is the most complete. With the help of it, you can find out which substances are urgently needed by a person, and which are many, and it is urgent to reduce their concentration.
The result of biochemical research under the influence of alcohol is changingso:
- the amount of urea in the blood decreases,
- data on oxygen absorption in body cells are disturbed,
- suffer quantitative glucose indicators.
The latter factor can pose a threat to the patient’s life, as the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is delayed.
Increased urea background is also caused by alcohol intake. Distorted indicators of its content can hide severe circulatory disease, which leads to hemorrhagic shock or acute heart failure. Since urea participates in the excretion of nitrogen, its increased concentration is a sign of gout and polyarthritis. The accuracy of the diagnosis can be satisfactory only with abstinence from alcohol before taking the tests.
Consumption of alcohol before the procedure can cause an increased content of triacylglycerol in the bloodstream. This neutral fatty substance, which is found in the bloodstream, indicates pathological processes,such as:
- atherosclerosis,
- ischemia,
- cerebral artery thrombosis,
- viral hepatitis.
Most doctors, for reasons of principle, exclude drugs containing alcohol from their intake before taking blood from the patient. But alcohol is believed to help detect the presence of an infectious disease. But even the smallest dose of ethanol distorts the test results and makes them unsuitable for a doctor.
According to the stories of nurses and doctors, most people do not admit to taking alcohol before testing. Another side factor that manifests when testing people who drank alcohol the day beforeare:
- unconsciousness,
- severe headaches
- nausea.
The amount of blood taken from the body from the vein is negligible. Its loss is not a problem for a person. But if the patient comes for tests after drinking alcohol, the metabolism is usually disturbed and the blood circulation in the brain is reduced.
Intravenous administration can lead to oxygen starvation of the brain. This can lead to severe dizziness or fainting. After that, the patient may have a headache for a long time.
Alcohol poisoning can disrupt the digestive tract. The patient may vomit in the office or in the laboratory from the smell of alcohol or chlorine used for disinfection.
Glucose test
A study of the amount of glucose in the blood is necessary for people who suffer from endocrine disorders. Blood is taken from the finger. If the patient drank 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.
Alcohol exposure is a negative factor for liver cells. It also has a negative effect on laboratory apparatus and reagents. This makes the result incorrect. The sugar level may increase or decrease in relation to the actual condition.
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 indicators in this case are increased.
Alcohol becomes the cause of low sugar levels.About 2, 5 hoursstable blood glucose data are provided by carbohydrates from food. For the rest of the period, glucose is produced by the liver, which attracts the body’s energy resource. 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 mellitus, then it is important to provide the doctor with a normal picture. In the second case, the doctor will attribute the high sugar level to alcohol consumption. The period when health can improve will be missed.
Can I drink alcohol before testing?
By no means. Alcohol changes the test result. The most important thing is to completely stop drinking liquids that contain alcohol before major surgery.
Sometimes a small amount of alcohol can be taken before the tests. The doctor will discuss this condition with the patient on an 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 a chance to recover.
When tested for HIV, hepatitis B or C, as well as syphilis, the period when the patient must be completely sober increases to 72 hours. Otherwise, the result of the analysis will be distorted.
If the laboratory assistant or doctor receives information that the patient drank before the examination, the blood donation is postponed. If the information appears later, then the analysis is repeated when acetaldehyde is no longer present in the bloodstream.
The only possibility when alcohol will not affect the result is considered to be the analysis of alcoholism performed on vehicle 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 testing.