Phosphatidylethanol Test for Identifying Harmful Alcohol Consumption

Elizabeth Williams; Jennifer G. Chang

ELIZABETH WILLIAMS, MD, AND JENNIFER G. CHANG, MD, FAAFP, Eglin Air Force Base Family Medicine Residency, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

Am Fam Physician. 2023;108(1):95-96

Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships.

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a whole blood alcohol biomarker. It is detectable for up to four weeks after consuming alcohol.¹ A PEth level of 20 ng per mL or higher is often used as the threshold to identify moderate to heavy alcohol consumption.² The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends using validated questionnaires to screen for unhealthy alcohol use but does not recommend PEth.³ The American Psychiatric Association suggests testing for PEth or other alcohol biomarkers for ongoing monitoring or as part of the initial evaluation in patients with alcohol use disorder.⁴

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Hahn JA, Murnane PM, Vittinghoff E, et al. Factors associated with phosphatidylethanol (PEth) sensitivity for detecting unhealthy alcohol use: an individual patient data meta-analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2021;45(6):1166-1187.

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Labcorp. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth). Accessed September 4, 2022. https://www.labcorp.com/tests/791584/phosphatidylethanol-peth

RequestATest. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) alcohol test. Accessed January 17, 2023. https://requestatest.com/phosphatidylethanol-peth-alcohol-test

Quest Diagnostics. Phosphatidylethanol, blood. Accessed September 4, 2022. https://testdirectory.questdiagnostics.com/test/test-detail/37850/phosphatidylethanol-blood?cc=TMP

Luginbühl M, Van Uytfanghe K, Stöth F, et al. Current evolutions, applications, and challenges of phosphatidylethanol analysis for clinical and forensic purposes. WIREs: Forensic Sci. 2022(4): e1456. Accessed May 31, 2022. https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/wfs2.1456

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