title: Effect of hypothermia on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol in piglets.
abstract: The effect of hypothermia (29 C) on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol was studied in eight piglets serving as their own normothermic controls. Ten milliliters of 12% ethanol per kilogram were infused over 30 minutes, and serum ethanol concentrations were measured for seven hours. Ethanol concentration data were fitted to one-compartment open model assuming Michaelis Menten elimination kinetics. During hypothermia, ethanol concentrations were consistently higher than during normothermia. This observation could be explained by both a significantly smaller distribution volume of ethanol during hypothermia (0.71 +/- 0.03 L/kg at 29 C and 0.84 +/- 0.05 L/kg at 37 C, P less than .02) and a significantly slower maximum velocity of metabolism of ethanol (Vm) during hypothermia (1.12 +/- 0.11 mg/kg.min vs. 1.83 +/- 0.21 mg/kg.min, P less than .01). Our study indicates that during hypothermia, ethanol stays significantly longer in the circulation in piglets. Potentially, this may contribute to a more profound effect from the ethanol.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bohn
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGuigan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biggar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000378:metabolism*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol