Evaluation of Blood-Ethanol Profiles after Consumption of Alcohol Together with a Large Meal

Abstract

ABSTRACTSixteen healthy men drank 1.43 g ethanol per kg of body weight as Swedish aquavit, export beer, and cognac during 90 min together with a 3-course meal. Capillary (fingertip) blood was drawn on 8 occasions starting at 0–10 min after the end of drinking and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was determined by an enzymatic method. The peak BAC ranged from 0.97–1.41 mg/ml (mean 1.20 mg/ml) and this occurred 78 min after the end of drinking (range 0–230 min). The mean rate of disappearance of alcohol from blood (β) was 0.16 mg/ml/h (range 0.13–0.21) and the apparent volume of distribution of ethanol was 0.795 l/kg (range 0.64–0.93). The mean rate of ethanol elimination from the body was 128 mg/kg/h (range 99–160). The BAC increased on the average by 0.17 mg/ml (range 0.0–0.45 mg/ml) before reaching the maximum level. During the absorption phase, the BAC had attained on the average 83%, 91%, 95% and 98% of the final peak BAC within 5 min, 45 min, 109 min and 175 min, respectively, after ingestion. These ...