Ethyl Alcohol: Performance Decrements and Blood Level Values after Oral Administration to Man

摘要

Twenty-six healthy young men drank 0.5 to 2.0 ml/kg (0.4 to 1.6 gm/kg) of ethyl alcohol diluted in orange juice in this study to measure the minimal effective dose for 50% of the population (MED50) of ethyl alcohol to serve as a comparison with that of incapacitating agents; ascertain whether alcohol affects cholinesterase activity; and determine the effects of alcohol on certain performance measures and relate these to blood levels over a wide dose range. The MED50 (based on the decrement in Number Facility score) was found to be 1.5 ml/kg. Alcohol did not affect plasma and red blood cell cholinesterase activity. Levels of performance on six measures correlated well with dose and blood alcohol levels, and the decline of effects paralleled the fall in blood levels. (Author)