Reliable and rapid assays for the measurement of ethanol in breath and body fluids are now widely available. In view of the importance of alcohol abuse as a cause of a wide variety of both acute and chronic clinical conditions, hospital laboratories should be prepared to perform these assays for clinical purposes, although many will choose not to become involved in the assay of medico-legal samples.
HoltSStewartICDixonJMJEltonRATaylorTVLittleK. Alcohol and the emergency service patient. BMJ1980; 281: 638–40.
5.
WisemanSMTomsonPVBarnettJMJennsMWiltonJ. Use of an Alcolmeter to detect problem drinkers. BMJ1982; 285: 1089–90.
6.
WinekCLPaulLJ. Effect of short-term storage conditions on alcohol concentrations in blood from living human subjects. Clin Chem1983; 29: 1959–60.
7.
KayeS. The collection and handling of the blood alcohol specimen. Am J Clin Path1980; 74: 743–6.
8.
AlexanderWDWillsPDEldredNGowerR.Urinary ethanol levels in diabetics. Lancet1981; i; 789.
9.
CorryJE. Possible sources of ethanol ante- and postmortem: its relationship to the biochemistry and microbiology of decomposition. J Appl Bacteriol1977; 44: 1–56.
10.
WrightJMarksV.Alcohol. In: CohenRDLewisBAlbertiKGMMDenmanAM, eds. The Metabolic and Molecular Basis of Acquired Disease.London: Baillière Tindall, 1990; 602–33.
11.
MaheswarenRBeeversDG. Alcohol and hypertension—epidemiological aspects, haemodynamic effects and possible mechanisms. In: BursztynzP, ed. Nutrition and Blood Pressure.London: Libbey, 1987; 63–84.
12.
RutherfordWH. Diagnosis of alcohol ingestion in mild head injuries. Lancet1977; i: 1021–3.
13.
QuaghebeurGRichardsP. Comatose patients smelling of alcohol. BMJ1989; 299: 410.
14.
RosalkiSB. Identifying the alcoholic. In: RosalkiSB, ed. Clinical Biochemistry of Alcoholism.London: Churchill Livingstone, 1984; 65–92.
15.
GalbraithSMurrayWRPatelARKnill-JonesR. The relationship between alcohol and head injury and its effect on the conscious level. Brit J Surg1976; 63: 128–30.
16.
HamlynANHopperJCSkillenAW. Assessment of erythrocytes δ-amino levulinate dehydrogenase for outpatient assessment of alcoholic liver disease: comparison with γ-glutamyl transferase and casual blood alcohol. Clin Chim Acta1979; 95: 453–9.
17.
PapozLWeillJL'HosteJClichYGotGGoehrsY. Biological markers of alcohol intake among 4796 subjects injured in accidents. BMJ1986; 292: 1234–7.
18.
NorthcoteRJMartinBJScullionHReillyDT. Changing pattern of alcohol abuse in female acute medical admissions. BMJ1983; 286: 1702.
19.
National Council on Alcoholism. Criteria for the diagnosis of alcoholism. Ann Intern Med1972; 77: 249–58.
20.
UrsoTGavalerJSVan ThielDH. Blood ethanol levels in sober alcohol users seen in an emergency room. Life Science1981; 28: 1053–6.
21.
DunneFJSchipperheijnJAM. Alcohol and the elderly. BMJ1989; 298: 1660–1.
22.
PennNDCorradoOJPitchforkLJEvansRTMascie-TaylorBH. Blood alcohol levels in acute elderly admissions to hospital. Postgrad Med J1989; 65: 20–1.
23.
CobbPGWDabbsMDG. Report on Breath Alcohol Measuring Instruments.London: HMSO, 1985.