The main step in the rapid treatment of any disease is diagnosis. Laboratory tests performed on time allow us to provide the most accurate information about the disease process. To this end, preparatory measures need to be taken. Most of our compatriots have a natural interest: How does ethanol affect the accuracy of analysis?
Does alcohol affect the blood test?
Alcohol can changeBlood composition:
- Reduce the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin indicators,
- Reduce urea content,
- Lower lactic acid levels,
- Lower blood sugar levels,
- Increase the percentage of triacylglycerol.
Alcohol can make blood thicker and increase its thrombosis rate. The increase in the number of adherent cells and red blood cells can be explained by megaloblastic anemia.
If you drink alcohol before taking the test, the blood biochemistry shows the greatest deviation. The decrease in uric acid is the result of a violation of the circulatory mechanism. An increase in triacylglycerol concentration-indicates the presence of ischemia or hepatitis.
In order to prevent the post-alcohol test from misleading the doctor, it is necessary to inform the specialist of the situation when receiving a referral.
In addition to distorting test results, alcohol also distorts the operation of laboratory equipment. The effect of the reagent on ethanol can distort blood sugar levels, so it is impossible to start treatment of diabetes on time.
How alcohol affects the test
Ethanol is not the main condition that needs to be eliminated before entering the laboratory. Not only smoking or eating before the examination, but drinking alcohol will reduce the accuracy of the instrument.
Analytical distortion under the influence of ethanol can invalidate the diagnosis. The more you drink, the less objective the result will be.
General analysis
Exposure to alcohol will distort the resultstherefore:
- Destroy red blood cells,
- Cholesterol levels sometimes increase by 80%,
- Reduce hemoglobin levels because the concentration of red blood cells will also decrease.
If you drink alcohol immediately before this analysis, the number of red blood cells (red blood cells that transport oxygen to all organs or tissues and the return of carbon dioxide) will be most likely to decrease.
Alcohol dissolves the cell membranes of red blood cells, thereby preventing their natural voluntary movement and reducing repulsion. The red blood cells began to stick together. Their concentration in the plasma decreases, which leads to a decrease in hemoglobin parameters. The accumulation of red blood cells can lead to blood clots and a decrease in blood microcirculation in the blood vessels.
After alcohol enters the body, the blood will thicken. Due to the appearance of the clot, its ability to penetrate the capillary lumen is reduced. This situation is dangerous to people's health and life, and will hinder the complete study of blood components.
In the liver, under the influence of alcohol, the production of lipids is reduced. This reduces the characteristics of the plasma. These indicators play an important role while the patient is preparing for surgery. Accurate analysis is essential to ensure that the health of patients is monitored during severe infectious diseases or during the healing of large wound surfaces.
Blood tests performedIn less than 12 hoursAfter taking alcohol, it can only accurately show the general state of intoxication. Hemoglobin reduction only shows megaloblastic anemia. But the doctor may refuse to make a diagnosis, referring to the patient's recent alcohol consumption.
Biochemical Indicators
Alcohol has the greatest impact on biochemical blood tests. This analysis is the most complete. With the help of it, you can understand which substances a person urgently needs, and which substances are too much and urgently need to be reduced.
Biochemical research results under the influence of alcohol changestherefore:
- The amount of urea in the blood decreases,
- The data on the absorption of oxygen by the body’s cells is violated,
- The quantitative index of glucose is affected.
The latter factor may pose a threat to the patient's life because the diagnosis of diabetes is very late.
The background increase in urea is also caused by alcohol intake. Distorted indicators can mask serious circulatory diseases, leading to hemorrhagic shock or acute heart failure. Since urea is involved in the excretion of nitrogen, an increase in its concentration is a sign of gout and polyarthritis. Only by abstaining from alcohol before the test can the accuracy of the diagnosis be satisfactory.
Drinking alcohol before surgery can cause an increase in triacylglycerol levels in the blood. This neutral fatty substance found in the blood indicates a pathological process,like:
- Atherosclerosis,
- Ischemia,
- Cerebral artery thrombosis,
- Viral hepatitis.
Most doctors, out of principle, exclude alcohol-containing drugs from the intake before taking blood from the patient. But people believe that alcohol helps detect the presence of infectious diseases. But even the smallest dose of ethanol can distort test results and make it unsuitable for doctors to use.
According to the stories of nurses and doctors, most people do not admit to drinking before the test. When someone who drinks alcohol is tested on the current day, another incidental factor that appears isYes:
- faint,
- Severe headache
- nausea.
The amount of blood drawn from a vein in the body is negligible. Its loss is not a problem for one person. However, if the patient comes to check up after drinking, the metabolism will usually be impaired and the blood circulation in the brain will also decrease.
Intravenous intake can cause hypoxia in the brain. This can cause severe dizziness or fainting. After that, the patient may have a headache for a long time.
Alcoholism can disrupt the digestive tract. Patients may vomit in the doctor's office or laboratory from the smell of alcohol or chlorine used for disinfection.
Blood sugar test
People with endocrine disorders need to study blood sugar levels. The blood is taken from the finger. If the patient drinks alcoholic fluids before the blood draw, his blood will thicken and the pressure will drop. This makes blood collection difficult and increases the risk of thrombosis.
Exposure to alcohol is a negative factor for liver cells. It also has a negative impact on laboratory instruments and reagents. This makes the result inaccurate. The sugar level can be increased or decreased according to the actual situation.
One gram of alcohol can change the number of kilocalories upwards 7, which can be explained by the rapid penetration of ethanol into tissues and body fluids. In this case, the sugar index increases.
Alcohol is the cause of low sugar value.About 2. 5 hoursCarbohydrates from food provide stable blood glucose data. During the rest of the time, glucose is produced by the liver, thereby attracting the body's energy resources. Alcohol disrupts normal metabolic processes and causes hypoglycemia.
Blood sugar levels return to normal1 or 2 days later. . . If the patient is at risk of diabetes, it is important for him to give the doctor a normal picture. In another case, doctors will attribute high sugar levels to alcohol consumption. You will miss a period when your health can be improved.
Can I drink alcohol before the medical examination?
impossible. Alcohol will change the test results. The most important thing is to completely quit alcohol-containing liquids before major surgery.
Sometimes a small amount of alcohol can be taken before the test. The doctor will talk to the patient individually at the time of the appointment to discuss the situation.
In any case, the recipient must stop drinking alcohol forty-eight hours before the analysis. During this period, the human body has a chance to recover.
When testing for HIV, hepatitis B or C, and syphilis, the time the patient must be fully awake is increased to 72 hours. Otherwise, the analysis result will be distorted.
If the laboratory assistant or doctor receives information that the patient is drinking before the test, the blood donation will be postponed. If the message appears later, the analysis will be repeated when acetaldehyde is no longer present in the blood stream.
The only possibility that alcohol will not affect the results is considered to be the analysis of alcoholism, which is carried out among vehicle drivers and certain categories of workers. The test is carried out without preparation or warning in order to obtain an objective picture. In any other case, you can only drink water before taking the test.