Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) are included into hair because it grows. Analyzing hair samples can present a retrospective window into a person’s alcohol consumption over roughly 90 days, relying on the size of the hair pattern. Laboratory evaluation generates quantitative outcomes, usually expressed in picograms per milligram (pg/mg) for each EtG and FAEEs. These outcomes are sometimes interpreted utilizing established cutoff ranges to evaluate persistent extreme alcohol use. Charts or tables could also be used to categorize these ranges, typically differentiating between social consuming, reasonable consuming, and heavy or persistent extreme consuming. As an illustration, an EtG stage beneath a selected threshold may point out abstinence or social consuming, whereas greater ranges might recommend extra frequent and substantial alcohol consumption.
This sort of testing gives a number of benefits over conventional strategies like blood or urine assessments, which solely present a snapshot of latest alcohol use. It offers a longer-term perspective, making it worthwhile in conditions the place sustained abstinence is essential, akin to monitoring people in restoration applications, assessing compliance with authorized mandates, or evaluating pre- and post-liver transplant sufferers. The event and refinement of those analytical strategies have enhanced the power to detect patterns of alcohol consumption and supply extra goal knowledge for medical and forensic functions.
