Incidence of alcohol dependence among drunken drivers.
To discriminate 'alcoholics' and 'non-alcoholics', individual Alc-Indices (determined by methanol, acetone, 2-propanol, gamma-GT and CDT-concentrations) were calculated in a collective of 327 alcohol-impaired drivers with regard to the blood alcohol concentration, the time of the event and the age of the drivers. Applying this new defined Alc-Index, 48% of the drivers investigated could be characterised as alcohol dependent. The prevalence of alcoholics among individuals with blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) higher than 1.9per thousand was more than 80%. The diagnostic value of alcohol concentrations for the recognition of 'alcoholics', considering the legal limit in Germany (1.1per thousand) as well as statistically calculated limits, were compared to the Alc-Index.
Brinkmann
Bernd
B
Institute of Legal Medicine, Universitatsklinikum Munster, Von Esmarch-Strasse 62, D-48149, Munster, Germany. brinkma@uni-muenster.de
Beike
Justus
J
Kohler
Helga
H
Heinecke
A
A
Bajanowski
Thomas
T
D019840:2-Propanol / Q000097:blood; D000096:Acetone / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged
D000096:Acetone; D000431:Ethanol; D019840:2-Propanol; D000432:Methanol