Rate of Distribution of Eethanol into the Total Body Water.

Nonequilibrium distribution of ethanol in the total body water (TBW) has implications for understanding gross intoxication seen after rapid consumption of alcohol and for certain new clinical monitoring methods where ethanol is used as a tracer. We studied the rate of distribution of ethanol into the TBW from the concentration--time profiles in whole blood after 0.4 g kg(minus sign1) of ethanol was given by intravenous over 15, 30, 45, and 60 min to six female volunteers. We also gave these females 0.6 g kg(minus sign1) over 30 min, and five young males 0.4 g kg(minus sign1) over 30 min. The results suggest that the blood ethanol concentration after rapid infusion can be described by a two-compartment model with first-order distribution kinetics and zero-order (saturated Michaelis--Menten) elimination. Distribution of ethanol occurred with a half-time of 6.6 plus minus 2.6 min (mean plus minus SD). Alcohol intoxication was more pronounced when ethanol was given rapidly. We conclude that predictable differences in the concentration of ethanol between the blood and the peripheral tissues during rapid supplementation of ethanol causes higher concentrations in blood and a more pronounced intoxication.