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Blood test
Blood test

Methanol test
Definition:
A test that measures the amount of methanol in the blood.

How the test is performed:

Adult or child:
Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic, and a tourniquet (an elastic band) or blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm to apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes veins below the tourniquet to distend (fill with blood). A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. During the procedure, the tourniquet is removed to restore circulation. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.

Infant or young child:
The area is cleansed with antiseptic and punctured with a sharp needle or a lancet. The blood may be collected in a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site if there is any continued bleeding.

The blood is sent to the laboratory for analysis.
How to prepare for the test:
Adult:
No special preparation is necessary.

Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:
How the test will feel:
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the test is performed:
This test is performed to detect the presence of methanol in the body.

Methanol is sometimes drunk mistakenly or intentionally as a substitute for grain alcohol (ethanol). Its presence in blood and body fluids can cause osmolality and electrolyte disturbance leading to toxic effects. Of greatest concern is the fact that methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde, a highly toxic chemical that can damage the optic nerve causing blindness, the liver and the kidneys potentially causing death.
Normal Values:
No presence of methanol is normal.
What abnormal results mean:
No amount of methanol is normally found in the body. Its presence indicates possible poisoning.
What the risks are:

Collection of blood may be associated with:

  • excessive bleeding
  • fainting or feeling lightheaded
  • hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
  • infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
  • multiple punctures to locate veins
Special considerations:
Oddly enough, the treatment for methanol poisoning is intravenous infusion of grain alcohol (ethanol). Since ethanol is metabolized by the same enzyme in the liver that converts methanol to formaldehyde, the production of formaldehyde is slowed down to a rate at which the body can dispose of it in the urine or through other less common chemical reactions.

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Review Date: 2/17/2002
Reviewed By: Michael C. Milone, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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