ETG testing

[ptloma]

The research on ETG was:confused: done mostly on men. May be biological reason for female nurses who have low positive ETG levels. In San Diego almost 25% of our diversion nurses have had positive tests. None of the men have. One nurse just got her third and she was so upset because she didn't relapse and has been very careful about what she eats. The test needs to be changed. Only by being proactive can we hope to either raise the cut off level to something more reasonable (like over 1000), or get research done on women. One lab stated that if they get a low positive etg that they also test for the presence of ethanol, and only if that level is over 04 do they feel a strong indication for relapse. I wonder if our lab does the same kind of testing; would be good to explore. I am interested in forming some momentum on this topic, please keep giving feedback and stand up for your rights!

[hppygr8ful]

I stomgly suggest that any nurse in a diversion or peer assistance program that includes etg testing as part of it's program go to
http://ethylglucuronide.homestead.com/index.html
and check out the available information on this test

New items to add to the do not use/eat list

Any beauty product that contains sd alcohol 40
polo loco chicken they cook the tequila lime chicken on the same grill as the regular
Panda inn chinese food they put alcohol in everything
Anything containing raw vanilla extract
sports creams and topical pain relievers.

Stay alert this situation is ready to bust wide open

[joyous1]

Hi, I am in PA (female) and have been in recovery for ~ 8 years, and in the PHMP (Professional Health Monitoring Program) for that long. I have also have difficulty with the ETG testing. I have tested + several times and have never relapsed or consumed alcohol. Our cut off is 500 for the EtG test. Again, they all think that the test is 100% accurate??? Is there anyone else out there from PA? I wonder if there is some way for us to get together and fight? Thanks Joyous1

[Scubasue]

Hi Folks,

I was so glad to find this forum as my life got turned upside down last month. I was two weeks into transistion in the California BRN Diversion program when I was informed I had a positive etg result of 4500. I did not drink and I love being sober but this has been the biggest challange to my sobriety so far.

I was told I had to start the entire Diversion process over and give up the two years of hard work I had put in, despite the fact I was 100% compliant prior to this and returned 3 negative tests within weeks of this one "positive".

I had surgery just days prior to my test and was wondering if anyone has heard of anything from anesthesia cross reacting creating a positive etg?

I heard today that another nurse I know had a positive as well (significant, over 2000 eliminating any chance it was accidental exposure) and I find it sad that no one will listen to us and consider we are telling the truth because we have a history of substance abuse.

I wonder when the truth about etg testing reliability and lab error will come out? I sure don't have a ton of hope that when it does anyone will rush out to call me and apologize for turning my life upside down.

I still remain grateful beyond words for my sobriety but have lost faith in the Diversion process.

Best to you all.

[joyous1]

Thank you for the story, I have empathy......they have been turning my life upside down since 2004. I am appealing the board I hope to find nurses who will provide additional support to fight this unfair testing method. I started in the monitoring program 1998-1999 and did not have problems with the test until they started the EtG. They have switched lab companies numerous times and the last two use EtG. I also am trying to find support to show that if anyone has tested + for Hep C that this may have an impact on + EtG. I would appreciate any more input. Thanks Joy
http://forums.ultimatenurse.com/imag...lies/smile.gif

[hppygr8ful]

Hi Folks,

I was so glad to find this forum as my life got turned upside down last month. I was two weeks into transistion in the California BRN Diversion program when I was informed I had a positive etg result of 4500. I did not drink and I love being sober but this has been the biggest challange to my sobriety so far.

I was told I had to start the entire Diversion process over and give up the two years of hard work I had put in, despite the fact I was 100% compliant prior to this and returned 3 negative tests within weeks of this one "positive".

I had surgery just days prior to my test and was wondering if anyone has heard of anything from anesthesia cross reacting creating a positive etg?

I heard today that another nurse I know had a positive as well (significant, over 2000 eliminating any chance it was accidental exposure) and I find it sad that no one will listen to us and consider we are telling the truth because we have a history of substance abuse.

I wonder when the truth about etg testing reliability and lab error will come out? I sure don't have a ton of hope that when it does anyone will rush out to call me and apologize for turning my life upside down.

I still remain grateful beyond words for my sobriety but have lost faith in the Diversion process.

Best to you all.

So sorry you are going through this.
If you had surgery at about the time of this test I would get a copy of your medical record and send a copy of every medication you were given before during and after surgery. You also need to find out what kind of prep solution was used on the operative site. It's been shown with testing on waterless hand soap that alcohol absorbed through the skin or inhaled does cause positive Etg's. Also there is evidence that some adhesives used to secure medical appliances can effect Etg testing if they contain alcohol. I would collect all this data and send it to the MRO. I would also suggest that you look into obtaining an independant MRO. If in Fact you have tested positive in the absence of alcohol intake you must stand up for your rights. Please feel free to visit our on-line support group at

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group...ds_in_Recovery

There are links there to site's that can tell you more about Etg.

Hppygr8ful

[ptloma]

Our facilitator in my nurses support group has started a list of nurses who have tested positive for ETG and we have added to it weekly. Most recently a nurse had two positive tests, both around 500. One was before she was hospitalized for dehydration (she had been vomiting after starting on a new antidepressant) and one was just after she was released from the hospital. They used alcohol wipes on her for blood draws, but other than that, she cannot fathom how she tested positive. She is not an alcoholic, she abused pills, and cannot even stand alcohol, so I highly doubt she drank. Anyway, the diversion program wants her to enter a rehab, and of course when she told her story to the admission people at several of them, they laughed and said it was a crock. So now diversion is in a pickle because they can't punish her the way they wanted! :cool:

[njgirlandnc]

I worked as a phlebotomist in a hospital where we did etg testing. If they are taking samples by blood they cannot clean yourarm with an alcahol swab at all. They need to use bedadine at the venipuncture sight. The alchaol used to clean will give you a false positive. It sounds like all you guys need to fight somehow. Goodluck to every one

[FloridaJudy]

Omigosh, am I ever grateful for this thread!

I felt like I was completely alone in my experience. I'm a recovering alcoholic with almost three years of sobriety; I'm being monitored by Florida's IPN (intervention project for nurses) program. About a year and a half ago, a colleague reported that she thought she smelled alcohol near me - I insisted on having a BAL drawn then and there - it was negative. But the IPN folks asked me to take an ETG. I agreed happily, since I was sure it would exonerate me.

Wrong. I was flabbergasted when it came back positive. More than flabbergasted - I was totally devastated. Absolutely nobody believed that I hadn't been drinking. I had both the psychiatrist I was referred to and the leader of my "nurse support group" screaming at me that I was "a liar and a lousy nurse". I lost my job. I lost my license. I had to undergo over half a year of residential treatment. I'm about to lose my house, since IPN still hasn't cleared me to return to nursing, and there's no way that working as a telemarketer allows me to meet my mortgage payments.

The thing that floors me, is that almost everyone insists "there's no such thing as a false positive". I find that hard to believe; I worked in a family planning clinic, and was assured by the company that makes our pregnancy tests that a false positive was impossible. One day when the first six women I tested turned up positive, I ran one on myself: it was positive. Did I mention I'm 59 years old and had a hysterectomy 20 years ago?

Since my horrible experence, I've spoken with two other nurses in the local
IPN program with similar stories. We fantasize about a class action suit...

[joyous1_1210]

Have you tried this group yet: ethylglucuonide@yahoogroups.com

there are many of us there as well