Coastal Drug Testing provides certified Breath Alcohol Content (BAC) testing at locations throughout Florida and the U.S. Testing centers are located within minutes of your home or office and same day service is available in most cases.
What is a Breath Alcohol Test?
A breathalyzer is a term used for a device (EBT- Evidential Breath Testing Device) that tests the alcohol content level in a person's system at the time the test is conducted. This type of test is different than other types commonly used tests. A breath alcohol test establishes an alcohol content level that is in the system currently (real time) and not what was consumed and expunged days ago.
A breathalyzer test is administered by a certified breath alcohol technician (BAT) and a chain of custody form is utilized through the process. In the event that a breath alcohol test has a positive result on the initial screening, the technician will administer a confirmation test approximately 15 minutes after the first initial test was conducted.
Breath alcohol testing is commonly used for employees regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) or individuals on court ordered probation or in a substance abuse treatment program. A breath alcohol test is also the common method used by law enforcement to determine if a person is driving under the influence of alcohol.
How does a Breath Alcohol Test Work?
Absorption of alcohol continues for anywhere from 20 minutes (on an empty stomach) to two-and-one-half hours (on a full stomach) after the last consumption. Peak absorption generally occurs within an hour. During the initial absorptive phase, the distribution of alcohol throughout the body is not uniform. Uniformity of distribution, called equilibrium, occurs just as absorption completes. In other words, some parts of the body will have a higher blood alcohol content (BAC) than others. One aspect of the non-uniformity before absorption is complete is that the BAC in arterial blood will be higher than in venous blood. Other false positive of high BAC and also blood reading are related to Patients with proteinuria and hematuria, due to kidney metabolization and failure. The metabolization rate of related patients with kidney damage is abnormal in relation to percent in alcohol in the breath. However, since potassium dichromate is a strong oxidizer, numerous alcohol groups can be oxidized by kidney and blood filtration, producing false positives.
During the initial absorption phase, arterial blood alcohol concentrations are higher than venous. After absorption, venous blood is higher. This is especially true with bolus dosing. With additional doses of alcohol, the body can reach a sustained equilibrium when absorption and elimination are proportional, calculating a general absorption rate of 0.02/drink and a general elimination rate of 0.015/hour. (One drink is equal to 1.5 ounces of liquor, 12 ounces of beer, or 5 ounces of wine.)
If you need to schedule a breath alcohol test at any of our testing centers nationwide, please Call (800) 828-7086 or click to schedule now online 24/7.