A false positive hair ethylglucuronide dosage in an alcohol abstinent patient after liver transplantation: a case report

The use of direct alcohol biomarkers (ethylglucuronide and phosphatidylethanol) has recently been implemented in a clinical setting. Due to their low alcohol detection threshold, high sensitivity, and specificity, these tools are very useful in the pre- and post-liver transplantation setting, where...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in medicine 2024-04, Vol.11, p.1363012
Main Authors: Favrod-Coune, Thierry, Lidsky, Déborah, Vionnet, Julien, Magini, Giulia, Déglon, Julien, Broers, Barbara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
alcohol
ethylglucuronide (ETG)
liver
Medicine
test
transplantation
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Summary:The use of direct alcohol biomarkers (ethylglucuronide and phosphatidylethanol) has recently been implemented in a clinical setting. Due to their low alcohol detection threshold, high sensitivity, and specificity, these tools are very useful in the pre- and post-liver transplantation setting, where the history and physical signs are not always reliable. However, the interpretation of the results can sometimes be misleading and must be integrated into a global clinical evaluation and, more importantly, in the clinical context of each patient. We present here a case report illustrating a false-positive hair ethylglucuronide caused by the application of a capillary gel in an abstinent patient after liver transplantation. This reminds us that even the most accurate laboratory tests must be interpreted with caution.
ISSN:2296-858X
2296-858X
DOI:10.3389/fmed.2024.1363012