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MeasurementName of AssessmentNumber of QuestionsTime to CompletePopulationsDescription of AssessmentKey CitationsPayment/CopyrightRecommendation
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AlcoholAlcohol Dependence Scale255 minA quantitative tool to determine the severity of alcohol dependence that can be administered either through interview or self administered.1 Kivlahan DR, Sher KJ, Donovan DM. The Alcohol Dependence Scale: a validation study among inpatient alcoholics. J Stud Alcohol. 1989;50(2):170–175. doi:10.15288/jsa.1989.50.170Readily availible online for no cost. http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_4075_EN_tads.pdf
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AlcoholAlcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)105 minValidated in: Adults. Languages Available: Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Catalan, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Filipino, Finnish, French, German (Lübeck and Münster), Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Italian, Karen, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Norwegian, Polish, Persian, Portugese, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese.A simple method of screening for unhealthy alcohol use. Useful in brief assessment. It can be administered orally or as a self report questionnaire. It typically covers a 12 month period but can be adapted to selected intervals.1. Babor TF, Higgins-Biddle JC, Saunders JB, Monteiro MG. AUDIT the Alcohol use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for use in Primary Care. Second Edition ed. World Health Organization; 2001. 2. Johnson JA, Lee A, Vinson D, Seale JP. Use of AUDIT-based measures to identify unhealthy alcohol use and alcohol dependence in primary care: a validation study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013;37 Suppl 1:E253–E259.
Readily available online for no cost. https://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/files/AUDIT.pdfOne of the most widely validated instruments for screening for alcohol use disorder that is used broadly for research and often is done in clinical care contexts, as well. There are some disagreements about the best scoring of the measure, with one paper by Paul Seale and Aaron Johnson suggesting better cutoffs for sensitivity and specificity. WHO Guidelines for use: https://www.who.int/publications-detail/audit-the-alcohol-use-disorders-identification-test-guidelines-for-use-in-primary-health-care. Johnson, Lee, Vinson & Seale Guidelines for Scoring: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22834916/
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AlcoholAlcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C)32 minValidated in: Adults. Languages Available: Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Catalan, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Filipino, Finnish, French, German (Lübeck and Münster), Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Italian, Karen, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Norwegian, Polish, Persian, Portugese, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese.A modified version of the AUDIT that serves as a 3 item screener for unhealthy alcohol use. The AUDIT-C is the first 3 questions of the AUDIT. Readily available online for no cost. https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/images/res/tool_auditc.pdfProvides an excellent brief screening measure that also provides information on consumption levels. Ideal for contexts where alcohol use assessment has to be limited. Included in many clinical records and used in secondary data analyses. A version which replaces the question on drinking 6 drink at a time with one using 4 drinks for women has been suggested and may be preferable (Johnson JA, Lee A, Vinson D, Seale JP. Use of AUDIT-based measures to identify unhealthy alcohol use and alcohol dependence in primary care: a validation study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013;37 Suppl 1:E253‐E259.)
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AlcoholBrief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ)2410 minValidated in: Adolescents. Languages Available: English, Dutch.A questionnaire designed to measure negative consequences from drinking alcohol experienced in college students.1. Kahler CW, Hustad J, Barnett NP, Strong DR, Borsari B. Validation of the 30-day version of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire for use in longitudinal studies. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2008;69(4):611–615. doi:10.15288/jsad.2008.69.611
Readily available online for no cost. https://arlbuffalo.com/the-young-adult-alcohol-consequences-questionnaire/the-brief-yaacq/
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AlcoholMichigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST)2510 minValidated in: Adults. Geriatric version available.A 25 question test to identify hazardous alcohol use that can be self administered or administered by a trained interviewer. It tends to focus on problems that have occurred in a person's lifetime rather than problems that may be currently happening. It is adapted for the general population.1. Selzer M. The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test: The Quest for a New Diagnostic Instrument. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1971; 127(12).Readily available online for no cost. https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/sbirt/mast.pdfThe instrument is a bit dated in part because of its focus on "dependence" diagnosis. There are brief and short versions (Selzer ML, Vinokur A, van Rooijen L. A self-administered Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST). J Stud Alcohol. 1975;36(1):117‐126).
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AlcoholNIAAA 2-Item Screener22 minValidated in: Adolescents. Languages Available: EnglishA tool used for screening for alcohol related problems in children and adolescents from ages 9-18 years old.1. Parast L, Meredith LS, Stein BD, Shadel WG, D'Amico EJ. Identifying adolescents with alcohol use disorder: Optimal screening using the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism screening guide. Psychol Addict Behav. 2018;32(5):508–516. Readily available online for no cost. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/YouthGuide.pdf
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AlcoholSingle Question Alcohol Screening Test1< 1 minA single question screener to identify unhealthy alcohol use in primary care.1. Smith PC, Schmidt SM, Allensworth-Davies D, Saitz R. Primary care validation of a single-question alcohol screening test [published correction appears in J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Apr;25(4):375]. J Gen Intern Med. 2009;24(7):783–788. doi:10.1007/s11606-009-0928-6
Readily available online for no cost: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695521/
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Alcohol or DrugsAddiction Severity Index (ASI)20050-60 minValidated in: Adults. There is a seperate version for adolescents. Languages Available: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish for Costa Rica, Swedish.A semi-structured interview designed to gather information on many potential problems related to alcohol or drug use such as: medical status, employment and support, drug use, alcohol use, legal status, family/social status, and psychiatric status.1. McLellan A, Luborsky L, Woody G, O'Brien C. An Improved Diagnostic Evaluation Instrument for Substance Abuse Patients: The Addiction Severity Index. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 1980;168(1).Request access here: https://eprovide.mapi-trust.org/instruments/addiction-severity-indexThe instrument is quite lengthy. However, the ASI-alcohol and ASI-drug composite scores take less time than the entire ASI and are used in many addiction studies. The utility for drug is it gives one score for all drugs. For alcohol it is less useful. There is a Lite version (Cacciola JS, Alterman AI, McLellan AT, Lin YT, Lynch KG. Initial evidence for the reliability and validity of a "Lite" version of the Addiction Severity Index. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007;87(2-3):297–302).
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Alcohol or DrugsAddiction Severity Index Lite (ASI-Lite)18330 minA shortened version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) 1. Cacciola JS, Alterman AI, McLellan AT, Lin YT, Lynch KG. Initial evidence for the reliability and validity of a "Lite" version of the Addiction Severity Index. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007;87(2-3):297–302. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.09.002
Readily available online for no cost: https://www.phmcresearch.org/images_specific/PDFlinks/ASI_Lite.pdf
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Alcohol or DrugsCAGE/CAGE AID4< 1 minValidated in: Adults. Languages Available: English, Flemish, French, Hebrew, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.A questionnaire consisting of 4 yes or no questions used to screen for those that may have alcohol use disorder (CAGE). The CAGE-AID screens for both alcohol and drug use disorder. 1. Brown R, Rounds L. Conjoint screening questionnaires for alcohol and other drug abuse: criterion validity in a primary care practice. Wisconsin medical journal. 1995;94(3). 2. Ewing JA. Detecting alcoholism. The CAGE questionnaire. JAMA. 1984;252(14):1905-1907. doi:10.1001/jama.252.14.1905
3. Hinkin C, Castellon S, Dickson-Fuhrman E, Daum G, Jaffe J, Jarvik L. Screening for Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Older Adults Using a Modified Version of the CAGE. The American Journal on Addictions. 2001;10(4).		Readily available online for no cost: https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/sbirt/CAGE_questionaire.pdfGenerally not preferred for use in research with primary data collection. Can be useful as a very short screen or assessment for a lifetime diagnosis only. Misses the spectrum of unhealthy use. The CAGE is only for alcohol. CAGE-AID is both alcohol and drugs. CAGE-D is only drugs. Drug versions are much less well validated.
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Alcohol or DrugsCRAFFT 2.095 minValidated in: Adolescents. Languages Available: Burmese, Dutch, English, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Japanese, Khmer, Laotian, Mandarin Chinese, Nepali, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Latinamerica and Spain), Turkish, Ukranian, Vietnamese.A clinical assessment tool to screen adolescents for alcohol or drug use disorders. It is available as a self report questionnaire or can be administered by the physician.1. Knight JR, Sherritt L, Shrier LA, Harris SK, Chang G. Validity of the CRAFFT substance abuse screening test among adolescent clinic patients. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156(6):607–614. doi:10.1001/archpedi.156.6.607
Readily available online for no cost. https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/sbirt/CRAFFT_Screening_interview.pdfRecommendation – ask about FREQUENCY of ANY use, which was not part of the original CRAFFT.
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Alcohol or DrugsGlobal Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN)1,60660-120 minValidated in: Adults, Adolescents. Languages Available: English, Spanish.A series of measures including a screener, standardized biopsychosocial intake assessment battery, and follow up assessment battery. It evaluates alcohol and drug use and utilization of services, as well as physical health, mental health, environment and living situation and vocation. It is most commonly used to assist with diagnosis of patients, placement, and treatment planning. It can be self administered or administered by a clinician.1. Dennis ML, Titus JC, White MK, Unsicker JI, Hodgkins D. Global appraisal of individual needs: Administration guide for the GAIN and related measures. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems. 2003.
Readily available online for no cost. http://gaincc.org/instruments/
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Alcohol or DrugsShort Inventory of Problems - Alcohol and Drugs (SIP-AD)155 minA questionnaire designed to adress adverse consequenses of alcohol and drug use. It uses a 3 month recall period.1. Alterman AI, Cacciola JS, Ivey MA, Habing B, Lynch KG. Reliability and validity of the alcohol short index of problems and a newly constructed drug short index of problems. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2009;70(2):304–307. doi:10.15288/jsad.2009.70.304Readily available online for no cost. NOTE: this version only mentions alcohol. For the SIP-AD, change "drinking" to "drinking and/or drug use." https://casaa.unm.edu/inst/Short%20Inventory%20of%20Problems.pdfSIP, and SIP-D. And SIP-AD. depending on alcohol, drugs, or both but when assessing both, then you cant separate if effects are from drug or alcohol. See a paper by Allensworth-Davies that has a figure that describes all of the known SIP variations.
Information on Variations of the SIP: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22494228/#&gid=article-figures&pid=figure-1-uid-0
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Alcohol or TobaccoParents Partner Past Pregnancy (4P's plus)55 minValidated in: Pregnant PeopleA screening tool designed specifically for pregnant women that screens for alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and illicit drug use.1. Chasnoff IJ, Hung WC. The 4P’s Plus© Screen for Substance Use in Pregnancy. Chicago, IL: NTI Upstream, 2002.Available online but requires a licensing fee. Licensing also includes a 1 hour webinar training. Pricing Information: https://www.ntiupstream.com/4pspricing
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AllAlcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST)7-8 per substance5-10 min per substanceValidated in: Adults, Adolescents. Languages Available: English, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish.A screening tool developed by the World Health Organization to screen for multiple types of substance use including Tobaco, Cannabis, Alcohol, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Inhalants, Sedatives, Hallucinogens, Opiods, and other substances. Initially intended for screening in primary care and general medical settings.1. The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST): development, reliability and feasibility. Addiction. 2002;97(9):1183-1194. doi:10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00185.x 2. Humeniuk R, Ali R, Babor TF, et al. Validation of the Alcohol, Smoking And Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). Addiction. 2008;103(6):1039-1047. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.02114.xReadily available online for no cost. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/978924159938-2Provides valuable information for both screening and research purposes and has been validated in many countries. Useful prelude to brief intervention, providing screening and assessment of severity. It can take longer than 5-10 minutes because the same set of 7-8 questions are asked about each substance (10 categories) a respondent has used in the past 3 months. Computer entry can make it easier to score.
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AllBrief Screener for Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drugs (BSTAD)6-112 minValidated in: Adolescents. Languages Available: EnglishAn electronic screening tool specifically targeted toward adolescents to identify risky substance use. It is based on the NIAAA 2 item screening tool. It triages adolesents into 3 categories of risk for hazardous substance use, and directs toward additional questions about substance use that ask about number of days of substance use in the past year.1. Kelly SM, Gryczynski J, Mitchell SG, Kirk A, O'Grady KE, Schwartz RP. Validity of brief screening instrument for adolescent tobacco, alcohol, and drug use. Pediatrics. 2014;133(5):819–826. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-2346
Readily available online for no cost. https://www.drugabuse.gov/ast/bstad/#/
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AllScreening to Brief Intervention (S2BI)72 minValidated in: Adolescents. Languages Available: EnglishAn electronic screening tool specifically targeted toward adolescents to identify risky substance use. It is based on the NIAAA 2 item screening tool. It triages adolesents into 3 categories of risk for hazardous substance use, and directs toward additional questions about substance use that ask about general frequency of substance use in the past year.1. Levy S, Weiss R, Sherritt L, et al. An electronic screen for triaging adolescent substance use by risk levels. JAMA Pediatr. 2014;168(9):822–828. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.774
Readily available online for no cost. https://www.drugabuse.gov/ast/s2bi/#/
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AllSubstance Use Brief Screening (SUBS)42 minA brief, self-administered instrument to identify unhealthy use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs that has been validated in an adult primary care setting.1. McNeely J, Strauss SM, Saitz R, et al. A Brief Patient Self-administered Substance Use Screening Tool for Primary Care: Two-site Validation Study of the Substance Use Brief Screen (SUBS). Am J Med. 2015;128(7):784.e9–784.e7.84E19. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.02.007Readily available online for no cost. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25770031/
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AllTobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substance Use (TAPS) Tool5-145 minA brief screening and assessment instrument that includes all commonly used substances, and fits into clinical workflows. Validated in an adult primary care setting. Depending on the answers for the first 5 questions, there are 9 additional more detailed screening questions that may be asked.1. McNeely J, Wu LT, Subramaniam G, et al. Performance of the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substance Use (TAPS) Tool for Substance Use Screening in Primary Care Patients. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165(10):690–699. doi:10.7326/M16-0317Readily available online for no cost. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5291717/
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AllTimeline Followback (TLFB)N/A10-30 minValidated in: Adults, Adolescents. Languages Available: FlexibleUsing a calendar, people retroactively estimate the days on which they consumed alcohol or other substances and how much they consumed on each day. It can be used for any amount of time up to 12 months.1. Sobell LC, Sobell MB. Alcohol Timeline Followback (TLFB) Users' Manual. Toronto, Canada: Addiction Research Foundation; 1995.No specific tool -- guidelines readily available online for no cost.Useful for research rather than clinical purposes. Considered the reference standard of self-report and can cover a longer time frame than biochemical assessments. Does require interviewer training for in-person administration. Provides exceptional depth of information and is preferred in contexts where patterns of use and relapse are of interest. Has been used to assess drug use, sexual behavior, and ART adherence. However, the time commitment for that in research is substantial. Online versions can make the TLFB feasible in contexts where the assessment is self-administered.
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Diagnostic Tools
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Alcohol or DrugsThe Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-5 (AUDADIS-5)Varies depending on the answers provided60 minA fully structured interview designed to test for alcohol and other substance use disorders and their associated disabilities. It provides diagnoses based on DSM and ICD criteria.1. Grant BF, Hasin DS. The Alcohol Use Disorders and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule (AUDADIS). Rockville, MD: NIAAA; 1990.
2. Grant BF, Dawson D, Stinson F, Chou P, Kay W, Pickering R. The Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-IV (AUDADIS-IV): reliability of alcohol consumption, tobacco use, family history of depression and psychiatric diagnostic modules in a general population sample. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2003; 71(1), 7-16.		Readily available online for no cost: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/research/nesarc-iii/questionnaire https://www.phenxtoolkit.org/toolkit_content/supplemental_info/atos/additional_info/NESARC_III_Manual.pdfParticularly useful because it does not require a trained clinician. It requires trained research staff (no clinical training or degree required)
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AllComposite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI)Screener section - 36 Questions Illegal substance use section - 65 Questions Alcohol use section - 47 QuestionsScreener section - 18.5 Minutes Substance use sections -20-30 MinutesThe CIDI is a comprehensive interview designed to assess a variety of mental disorders according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria. It has multiple sections that can be used to diagnose specific disorders. It is intended to be administered by a trained interviewer, and can provide information on the prevalence, severity, and burden of disorders. It can also assess service use, medication use, and access to treatment.1. Kessler RC, Wittchen H-U, Abelson JM, et al. Methodological studies of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) in the US national comorbidity survey (NCS). Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 1998;7(1):33-55. doi:doi:10.1002/mpr.33 2. Robins LN, Wing J, Wittchen HU, et al. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview. An epidemiologic Instrument suitable for use in conjunction with different diagnostic systems and in different cultures. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1988;45(12):1069-1077. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1988.01800360017003Readily available online for no cost, however requires training that may incur a cost. Training is not currently available as the CIDI 5 is in development. https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/wmhcidi/download-the-who-wmh-cidi-instruments/
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AllMini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)815 minA short diagnostic interview requiring only yes/no answers that can be used to diagnose the most common DSM 5 and ICD-10 psychiatric disorders. The family has since been expanded to include the MINI-plus, the MINI-kid, and the MINI-screen.1. Sheehan D V, Lecrubier Y, Sheehan KH, et al. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59 Suppl 20:22-57.Licensing required. Contact David Sheehan for information.
E-mail: davidvsheehan@gmail.com
Website: www.davidvsheehan.org. For electronic versions contact Nview at
cmartin@nviewhealth.com. Fees may be requested.
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AllThe Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5)Varies depending on the answers provided20-30 Minutes for SU SectionThe SCID-5 is an interview guide to diagnose mental disorders based on DSM-5 criteria. It should be administered by a clinician or trained mental health professional who is familiar with DSM-5 criteria.1. Kranzler HR, Kadden RM, Babor TF, Tennen H, Rounsaville BJ. Validity of the SCID in substance abuse patients. Addiction. 1996;91(6):859-868.The process to order the SCID-5 differs by version and may require a permission fee based on type of use (e.g., noncommercial, funded research or pharmaceutical trial). Please contact APA Publishing online if you have additional questions. https://www.appi.org/products/structured-clinical-interview-for-dsm-5-scid-5
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Biomarkers
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AlcoholBlood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)n/a1 minute to use a breathalyzerA BAC test measures how much alcohol is in breath, and through that estimates the amount of alcohol in a person's blood. A person's BAC is highest about 1 hr after drinking. It provides a quantitative measure of recent alcohol consumption.1. Gibb KA, Yee AS, Johnston CC, Martin SD, Nowak RM. Accuracy and usefulness of a breath alcohol analyzer. Ann Emerg Med. 1984;13(7):516-520. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-0644(84)80517-X 2. Harger EN, Forney RB, Barnes HB. Estimation of the level of blood alcohol from analysis of breath. J Lab Clin Med. 1950;36(2):306-318. doi:10.5555/uri:pii:0022214350901387It is $70-$150 for a breathalyzer.The instrument needs calibration. The main limitation is that it just assesses the current level, so one needs to understand timecourse etc.
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AlcoholCarbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT)n/aDepends on LabTransferrin is a glycoprotein in the blood that transfers iron through the body. When a person drinks heavily, their body produces carbohydrate defficient transferrin or CDT. The CDT biomarker test is a blood test that can identify people who drink heavily and people with heavy episodic drinking. It is good for identifying consistent heavy drinking in the past 2 weeks, as wll as heavy alcholol consumption over a 90 day time period.1. Fleming M, Mundt M. Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin: Validity of a New Alcohol Biomarker in a Sample of Patients with Diabetes and Hypertension. J Am Board Fam Med. 2004;17(4):247-255. doi:10.3122/jabfm.17.4.247Pricing will vary from laboratory to laboratory. Testing can be performed at Medical University of South Carolina. See more information here: https://medicine.musc.edu/departments/psychiatry/divisions-and-programs/programs/cnl/heavy-alcohol-testing/biomarker
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AlcoholEthyl glucuronide (EtG)n/aDepends on LabA test on urine is done to detect the presence of ethyl glucuronide, a biproduct of ethanol breakdown. Ethyl glucuronide can also be detected in blood, hair, and nails. It can be detected in urine up to 5 days after it was consumed.1. McDonell MG, Skalisky J, Leickly E, et al. Using ethyl glucuronide in urine to detect light and heavy drinking in alcohol dependent outpatients. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015;157:184-187. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.10.004Pricing will vary from laboratory to laboratory. Testing can be performed at Medical University of South Carolina. See more information here: https://medicine.musc.edu/departments/psychiatry/divisions-and-programs/programs/cnl/heavy-alcohol-testing/biomarkerIts main use is to identify any recent alcohol use, which can be useful for screening participants to ensure they are alcohol users.
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AlcoholPhosphatidylethanol (PEth)n/aDepends on LabPhosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid that is created by phospholipase D in the presence of alcohol (ethanol). PEth is measured using blood or dried blood spots. PEth is a highly specific biomarker that correlates with alcohol consumption in the previous 2 to 3 weeks. It is often modeled as a binary measure, > 8ng/ml vs <8, which is the limit of quantification for this specific test. A PEth level of >8ng/ml is not supportive of a report of abstinence over the previous 2 or 3 weeks.1. Isaksson A, Walther L, Hansson T, Andersson A, Alling C. Phosphatidylethanol in blood (B-PEth): a marker for alcohol use and abuse. Drug Test Anal. 2011;3(4):195-200. doi:10.1002/dta.278Request a quote from USDTL. http://www.usdtl.com/Has been validated against self report and other biochemical measures and has a longer window of detection than other biochemical assays of alcohol use. However, there are no clear cutoffs established for distinguishing between abstinence vs. risky vs. very heavy use. Work in this area is ongoing and suggested cutoffs are being published (Eyawo O, McGinnis KA, Justice AC, et al. Alcohol and Mortality: Combining Self-Reported (AUDIT-C) and Biomarker Detected (PEth) Alcohol Measures Among HIV Infected and Uninfected. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2018;77(2):135‐143).
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