A blood alcohol level measures the concentration of ethanol in a blood sample at the time it was collected.
The test measures ethanol, the form of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks, in a blood sample. The result describes the concentration when the sample was taken. It is not a direct measure of a person’s usual drinking pattern.
The concentration changes with time after drinking. Food, medicines, and individual tolerance can also affect how a person appears or feels. The result therefore needs clinical context and should not be used as a universal driving limit or a precise calculator of symptoms.

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