Elevated blood ethanol levels caused by 'non-alcoholic' beer.
With the availability of non-alcoholic beer, many patients are substituting non-alcoholic beer for regular beer. Moreover, several clinicians advocate the use of non-alcoholic beer by alcoholics when there is a possibility of relapse. However, patients with alcoholic end-stage liver disease can accumulate substantial circulating ethanol levels even when they consume non-alcoholic beer. We present a case of a patient with end-stage liver disease who achieved a blood alcohol level of 57 mg/dL after drinking non-alcoholic beer.
DiMartini
A F
AF
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. dimartiniaf@msx.upmc.edu
Rao
K N
KN