[Measurement of alcohol in saliva with a test strip]

As the concentration of alcohol in saliva follows the concentration of alcohol in the blood meticulously, a test strip to measure alcohol in saliva would provide an easy and rapid method of semiquantitative estimation of the blood alcohol concentration. The authors have submitted Alco-Screen test strips to trial by comparing five different batches by measurement on aqueous solutions of alcohol, saliva to which alcohol had been added and also in practice. The batch variations were very great and the results obtained on aqueous solutions and saliva with added alcohol were too high whereas the results in practical use were, in general, too low. In addition, it was found that the colour of the reagent field was difficult to compare with the reference fields. Instructions for use were incomplete and easily misunderstood.