Disappearance Rate of Ethanol From the Blood of Human Subjects: Implications in Forensic Toxicology

• NCJ Number: 140919
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1993) Pages: 104-118
• Author(s): A W Jones
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 1990, Anaheim, California

Annotation

This article outlines major developments in knowledge about the human metabolism of ethanol by reporting the results of a large number of controlled experiments aimed at measuring the rate of ethanol elimination from the blood.

Abstract

Factors influencing the rate of ethanol elimination from the blood were investigated, including the amount of ethanol ingested, drinking habits of subjects, and the effect of food taken together with or before drinking. Subjects included 150 healthy male volunteers who ranged in age from 20 to 60 years. Ethanol was administered in the form of neat whiskey or as pure ethanol diluted with orange juice. The slowest rate of ethanol disappearance was observed in a healthy male subject who ingested 0.68 grams of ethanol per kilogram of body weight after an overnight fast. The fastest rate of ethanol disappearance was observed in a male chronic alcoholic during detoxification. It was determined that differences in the rate of ethanol disposal should be considered when the pharmacokinetics of ethanol become an issue in drinking and driving trials, for example, when retrograde estimations are attempted. 68 references, 2 tables, and 6 figures