Study into the Ability of Healthy People of Small Stature to Satisfy the Sampling Requirements of Breath Alcohol Testing Instruments

Abstract

In a previous study (Gomm et al., 1991) people with a variety of respiratory diseases were tested and criteria defined for assessing their ability to provide samples for Breath Alcohol Testing Instruments. This study investigated the possible problems which may be encountered by healthy people of small stature — 5ft 5in (166cm) or less — who do not suffer from a respiratory disease. This study followed the same pattern as the earlier work in that lung function (Forced Expiration Volume in One Second (FEV₁) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)) was measured by spirometry, and Peak Expiration Flow Rate (PEFR) was measured using a Wright peak flow meter. Following the lung function measurements the subjects were requested to provide samples for Breath Alcohol Testing Instruments used by the Police in Great Britain.

As with the previously reported work (Gomm et al., 1991), this study found that the FEV₁ and FVC gave the most reliable indication of a person's capability of satisfying the sampling requirements of Breath Alcohol Testing Instruments, but on this occasion the PEFR also provided a good confirmatory indication. Because there were no subjects with interstitial lung diseases the values determined by this study on 48 healthy adults indicate that a healthy person of small stature should be capable of supplying a suitable breath sample if their FEV₁, FVC and PEFR are greater than 2.31, 2.61 and 330 1/min respectively.