Additional lab tests can be performed for diagnosis. EG blood and urine levels can be measured by some laboratories. An easy to use kit is currently available to detect EG in blood. This kit is positive for 12 - 24 hours as it measures ethylene glycol but not its metabolites. A positive test result is pictured on the left.
False positives are unusual.
Osmolality can be measured using an osmometer or calculated by adding the concentrations of small molecules which contribute to osmolality in health. An osmol gap exists as EG and metabolites are measured by an osmometer but are not taken into account in the formula which is used to calculate osmolality. The presence of an anion gap can also indicate ethylene glycol toxicity. The amount of postively charged anions is balanced by an equal amount of negatively charged cations. Sodium and potassium are the major anions which are measured.