Blood alcohol concentration and psychomotor effects

• Published in: British journal of anaesthesia : BJA Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 401 - 406
• Main Authors: Grant, S.A., Millar, K., Kenny, G.N.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2000; Oxford University Press; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adult; alcohol; Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Biological and medical sciences; Breath Tests; Central Nervous System Depressants - blood; Central Nervous System Depressants - pharmacology; Ethanol - blood; Ethanol - pharmacology; Female; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Medical sciences; psychomotor; Psychomotor Performance - drug effects; Reaction Time - drug effects; Reflex - drug effects; reflexes; reflexes, psychomotor; Toxicology; alcohol; reflexes, psychomotor; reflexes, psychomotor; alcohol; Human; Intravenous administration; Healthy subject; Activity concentration relation; Oral administration; Alcohol; Psychomotricity
• ISSN: 0007-0912; 1471-6771
• DOI: 10.1093/bja/85.3.401

This study assessed the effect of intravenous alcohol infusions on psychomotor impairment and compared it with that of alcohol administered orally. Comparisons were made between three European drink-driving limits of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) (20, 50 and 80 mg 100 ml−1) and an oral dose of alcohol 0.75 mg kg−1. Twelve volunteers, aged 22–34 yr, were recruited. At targets of 20, 50 and and 80 mg 100 ml−1, the mean (sd) BAC was 22.1 (3.7), 51.5 (3.3) and 80.5 (4.2) mg 100 ml−1, respectively. The peak BAC following an oral dose of alcohol 0.75 mg kg−1 ranged from 19 to 68 mg 100 ml−1. In psychomotor testing, choice reaction time deteriorated with increasing BAC and showed significant differences between baseline and the 50 (P<0.05) and 80 mg 100 ml−1 (P<0.01) conditions. Dual-task secondary reaction time deteriorated with increasing BAC and showed a statistically significant difference between all groups and baseline (oral and 20 mg groups, P<0.05; 50 and 80 mg groups, P<0.01). Dual-task tracking in the 50 and 80 mg groups was significantly different from baseline (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Oral dosing resulted in widely variable BACs, making it difficult to assess psychomotor impairment reliably. An intravenous infusion enables the BAC to be maintained within a narrow range. This allows precision when investigating the effects of alcohol on psychomotor performance.