Does acute consumption of large alcohol amounts lead to pancreatic injury? A prospective study of serum pancreatic enzymes in 300 drunken drivers.

Blood samples of 300 consecutive subjects suspected for drunken driving were prospectively analyzed for concentrations of pancreatic and hepatic enzymes. Mean alcohol concentration was 1.5 +/- 0.8 0/00 (+/- SD; range 0-3.7 0/00). Increased enzyme concentrations were found in 25/300 subjects for amylase, in 43/300 for trypsin, in 49/300 for gamma-glutamyl transferase and in 82/300 for glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase. Subjects with alcohol concentrations greater than 1 0/00 had abnormal pancreatic and hepatic enzymes more frequently than subjects with alcohol concentrations smaller than 1 0/00. However, pancreatic enzyme levels were higher than twice the upper normal limit only in 3/300 subjects, whereas hepatic enzyme levels exceeded twice the upper normal limit in 31/300 subjects. Therefore, other factors in addition to alcohol are necessary to initiate acute pancreatitis. The liver is more susceptible to acute injury by alcohol than the pancreas.