Comparison of hospital laboratory serum alcohol levels obtained by an enzymatic method with whole blood levels forensically determined by gas chromatography.

Estimating the equivalent whole blood ethanol level from a serum or plasma determination has been addressed by numerous articles in both the clinical and forensic literature. All previous studies have either involved sample sizes insufficient for adequate statistical evaluation or have utilized gas chromatography for both serum and whole blood analysis. In this study, based on samples from 212 consecutive patients admitted to a hospital trauma center, serum was assayed for ethanol using an enzymatic oxidation method, and the results were compared to whole blood samples taken simultaneously and analyzed by headspace gas chromatography in a forensic toxicology laboratory.