A Rapid Qualitative Test for Suspected Ethylene Glycol Poisoning

Objectives:  Many hospitals must send out ethylene glycol (EG) samples to a reference laboratory, and delays in diagnosis and treatment may occur. A qualitative colorimetric test (ethylene glycol test [EGT] kit), already in use by veterinarians, gives results in 30 minutes with little expertise or cost. The EGT reliably detects the presence of EG in spiked human serum samples. The objective of this study was to prospectively assess the sensitivity and specificity of the EGT kit in actual clinical samples submitted for EG testing by the criterion standard gas chromatography (GC).
Methods:  Blood samples from patients with suspected toxic alcohol poisoning submitted to a reference laboratory were tested by GC. An investigator blinded to the GC results tested the same sample with the EGT kit following the manufacturer's instructions and using the internal control. Three physicians also blinded to the GC results categorized the sample as positive for EG, negative, or inconclusive. Interrater reliability was assessed with a kappa statistic (κ). Results of the EGT kit testing were then compared to those from GC testing.
Results:  Data are reported on 24 samples submitted. By GC, 15 samples were confirmed for EG (range 27–281 mg/dL), 5 were confirmed for methanol (ME; range 64–101 mg/dL), and 4 were negative for both alcohols. The EGT was unanimously positive in all confirmed EG samples and negative in all ME samples. In one of the negative samples, an ambiguous result occurred and was counted as a false-positive. Interobserver agreement with the EGT was high (κ = 0.909; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.735 to 1.0). Sensitivity and specificity were 100% (95% CI = 70% to 100%) and 88.8% (95% CI = 52% to 100%), respectively.
Conclusions:  The EGT appears to be a reliable qualitative test in cases of suspected human EG poisoning.