Accuracy of a Glycerol Dehydrogenase Assay for Ethylene Glycol Detection

Ethylene glycol (EG) is a frequently considered toxicant in poisoned patients. Definitive diagnosis relies on gas chromatography (GC), but this is unavailable at most hospitals. A glycerol dehydrogenase (GDH)-based assay rapidly detects EG. A rapid turnaround time and wide availability of necessary instrumentation suggest this method could facilitate the rapid detection of EG. This is a prospective, observational analysis of banked, remnant serum samples submitted to the laboratory of a large, multi-hospital healthcare system. Samples were submitted over a 12-month period for the explicit purpose of testing for suspected EG ingestion. All samples underwent GC and the GDH-based assay. Of the 118 analyzed samples, 88 had no EG detected by GC, and 30 were “positive.” At the manufacturer’s threshold of 6 mg/dL EG, there was 100