Jeszenszky E., Kovacs I., Varga T.

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Medical University, Department of Forensic Medicine, Szeged, Hungary

In the practice of breath alcohol analysis the question arises that different materials consumed with alcohol could affect the measurement. Up to the present the volatile compound's effect in the oral cavity or with exhalation was investigated in the first place, but now we also focused to the alimentarial way.
In this study 15 volunteers' blood and breath ethanol concentrations versus time relationship were examined after drinking alcohol with empty stomach. Another test was made on the effect of a bigger amount (35 g) of drops (Clorets^®) containing 0.04% menthol. In the same time the infuence of a smaller amount of the same drops sucking between the parallel breath samples was also noticed. Different breath-alcohol analyzers (Seres, Lion, Alco-sensor) were used and the quantification of ethanol in blood was made by headspace gas chromatography.
Conclusion. A quasi menthol-sucrose solution caused no difference between parallel results via the respiratory tract in any case. Otherwise after having more drops the concentration of ethanol reached - within a shorter period of time - a higher level in the absorption phase compared to the control. The authors give the possible explanation that menthol making stomach and intestinal hyperaemia and having laxative effect may accelerate the absorption of ethanol and/or directly decrease the "first pass effect".