RATE OF DISTRIBUTION OF ETHANOL INTO THE TOTAL BODY WATER

Abstract

Nonequilibrium distribution of ethanol in the total body water (TBW) has implications for understanding gross intoxication seen after rapid consumption of alcohol and for certain new clinical monitoring methods where ethanol is used as a tracer. We studied the rate of distribution of ethanol into the TBW from the concentration-time profiles in whole blood after 0.4 g kg−1 of ethanol was given by intravenous infusion over 15, 30, 45, and 60 min to six female volunteers. We also gave these females 0.6 gkg−1 over 30 min, and five young males 0.4 gkg−1 over 30 min. The results suggest that the blood ethanol concentration after rapid infusion can be described by a two-compartment model with first-order distribution kinetics and zero-order (saturated Michaelis-Menten) elimination. Distribution of ethanol occurred with a half-time of 6.6 ± 2.6 min (mean ± SD). Alcohol intoxication was more pronounced when ethanol was given rapidly. We conclude that predictable differences in the concentration of ethanol between the blood and the peripheral tissues during rapid supplementation of ethanol causes higher concentrations in blood and a more pronounced intoxication.