Which cleaning solution is appropriate for a blood alcohol test?

For a blood alcohol test, soap and water is the appropriate cleaning solution to use before collecting the sample. The reason for this is that alcohol swabs contain ethyl alcohol, which can interfere with the test results by artificially elevating the measured blood alcohol level. Using soap and water effectively cleans the skin of any contaminants without introducing additional alcohol, ensuring the test results accurately reflect the patient’s true blood alcohol concentration.

Chlorhexidine, while an effective antiseptic used in many medical procedures, can cause interference in blood alcohol testing as it may leave residual compounds that could potentially affect the results. Hydrogen peroxide is also not recommended for this type of test, as it does not adequately prepare the site for blood collection without risking sample contamination. Thus, soap and water serves as the best choice to ensure accurate and reliable test outcomes.