Alcohol absorption, gastric emptying and a breathalyser.
1 The value of a portable breathlyser (Alcometer AE-M2) in the assessment of gastric emptying after alcohol ingestion was investigated by comparing breath and venous blood alcohol concentrations with simultaneous scintigraphic measurements of gastric emptying rate. 2 Alcohol absorption, as determined by the area under the venous blood alcohol concentration-time curve during the first 30 min, correlated with gastric emptying during the same period, implying dependence of the rate of alcohol absorption on gastric emptying rate. 3 There was no correlation between breath and venous alcohol concentrations during the first 15 min after alcohol ingestion, but a significant correlation was observed thereafter. 4 Breath alcohol measurements may be sufficient to detect gross alterations in gastric emptying but measurements of venous blood alcohol are likely to be more reliable.
D001944:Breath Tests; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D013997:Time Factors
D000431:Ethanol