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MecStatSM Alcohol
Please describe the new meconium test for alcohol.
Can MecStatSM EtOH be run in conjunction with testing
for panels for illegal drugs?
Do doctors know about the MecStatSM EtOH test? Does MecStat Laboratories have a means of informing doctors of this new test?
How can DHS Methamphetamine specialists use information about this new
resource to improve our protection of children?
How does NIDA and the court system view the validity of this new test?
How much does MecStatSM EtOH cost?
Please describe the new meconium test for alcohol.
MecStatSM EtOH is a test of the non-oxidative metabolites of Ethyl
Alcohol called Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEE’s). These metabolites are the
chemical combination for endogenous fatty acids present in the blood of a fetus
and Ethyl Alcohol. These new compounds, which only form when the fetus is exposed
to Ethyl Alcohol, are deposited into the fetus’s meconium and can then be
detected and quantified from the newborn’s meconium after delivery. The amount
of the Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters found in the meconium is representative of
the amount of Ethyl Alcohol the fetus was exposed to during the last half
of the pregnancy.
Can MecStatSM EtOH be run in conjunction with testing
for panels for illegal drugs?
Yes, MecStatSM 5, MecStatSM 7, MecStatSM 9, and MecStatSM 12
can all be bundled with MecStatSM EtOH.
Do doctors know about the MecStatSM EtOH test? Does MecStat Laboratories have a means of informing doctors of this new test?
A: Yes and No. Many physicians know about the test from scientific publications
and literature from MecStat Laboratories. There are, however, many physicians
that are not yet knowledgeable about the test and have never ordered it.
If your local physicians don’t have the necessary information to order the test,
call MecStat Laboratories at 1-800-235-2367 and the scientific information will
be supplied.
How can DHS Methamphetamine specialists use information about this new
resource to improve our protection of children?
Results from MecStatSM EtOH tests give DHS personnel direct information about
newborns who have been exposed to high levels of Ethyl Alcohol. Approximately
3% of all newborns have been exposed to high levels of alcohol and these
newborn’s meconium specimens have FAEE levels greater than 10,000 ng/gram.
This “Red Flag” level represents the only one quarter of the total number of
alcohol exposed newborns. Three quarters of alcohol exposed newborns were exposed
to small or moderate amounts of alcohol and represent lower risks of manifesting
signs and symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The newborns with FAEE
levels greater than 10,000 are at higher risk for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
as well as a higher probability of living in a chaotic environment where abuse or
neglect is more likely.
How does NIDA and the court system view the validity of this new test?
NIDA (The National Institute on Drug Abuse) actually is NOT the institute that
funded the original research for FAEE’s in meconium. It was the National Institute
for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) that provided USDTL with the grant funds
to develop the MecStatSM EtOH test. This test has become the de facto standard for
laboratory diagnosis of fetal alcohol exposure and is in routine use all over the
United States and Canada. Courts have held that MecStatSM EtOH tests meet both the
Fry and Daubert standards and the results are admissible in adversarial proceedings.
How much does MecStatSM EtOH cost?
When ordered as MecStatSM EtOH only, the cost is $129.00. When ordered bundled
with the MecStatSM 5 the total cost is $149.00. For hospitals with large specimen
loads, volume discounts are available.
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