Alcohol analyses were conducted with rebreathed air, finger-tip capillary blood, and cubital-vein blood from 31 human subjects, withthe three samples taken almost simultaneously 1, 2, and 3 hours after ingestion of whisky. Details of the study are described and the results are discussed. It was found that during the first 70 minutes after drinking, the alcohol level of capillary blood averaged 7.5 % Above that of venous blood, and was 15 to 22 % higher in 7 of the 34pairs of samples. Later samples showed no significant difference between blood from these two sources. It is noted that for estimating blood alcohol level, the rebreathed air method is definitely an improvement over drunkometer methods. With the rebreathed air procedure, a determination of breath carbon dioxide is unnecessary.
Abstract