Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin Lab Tests to Detect Heavy Alcohol Use by Patients

Key DFM Personnel

Michael Fleming, MD, MPH - Principal Investigator
Ellyn Stauffacher, BA - Project Manager
Marlon Mundt, MS - Data Analyst
Kara Conway, BS - Researcher

Funding

AXIS-Shield Diagnostics of Norway

Background

Patients who are drinking too much alcohol are often reluctant to reveal accurate consumption levels to health care providers. This lack of information can have serious repercussions on medical treatment and outcomes. The CDT (Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin) blood test is a marker for prolonged heavy alcohol consumption. It has recently received FDA approval for general use in the US, although it has been available in Europe for many years.

Specific aims

This study proposes to investigate these issues: 1) What percentage of patients who are scheduled for elective surgical procedures will screen positive with the CDT? 2) Is Information regarding the patient's alcohol consumption level useful for reducing surgical complications? and 3) Do the CDT test results correlate with the patient's self-reported alcohol use?

Methods

Five hundred patients scheduled to undergo elective surgery at the UW Hospital and Clinics will be recruited by Nurse Practitioners when they arrive for their preoperative physical exams. Questions related to alcohol consumption and a blood draw are already a standard part of every preoperative physical exam. As part of this project, an extra tube of blood will be drawn for the CDT test. UW researchers will audit the preop exam note for the patient's self-reported alcohol use. The operative note and postop care notes will be reviewed to assess surgical complications.

Summary

This would be the first study to assess the usefulness of the CDT for patients who are scheduled for elective surgical procedures. The results, particularly those related to reducing surgical complications, could have an enormous impact on the health care system.