Citation

Dettling A, Schuff A, Skopp G, Strohbeck-Kühner P, Lutz R, Haffner HT. Blutalkohol 2003; 40(5): 343-353.

Affiliation

Inst. fur Rechtsmed./Verkehrsmed., Verkehrsmedizin/Verkehrspsychologie, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Five test persons not having drunk alcohol for a certain period of time used various therapeutic products containing ethanol (inhalation sprays, oral hygiene liquids, oral gels) in the form and dosage recommended by the manufacturer. Breath alcohol testing was initiated half a minute later, using a Siemens Alcomat(registered trademark), and was continued in as compact a sequence as possible. Erroneous breath alcohol concentrations were registered up to 12,5 minutes after the use of products. By means of mathematical extrapolation above the shown value of the Siemens Alcomat(registered trademark), it was established that, under consideration of in dubio pro reo, significant false results concerning residual alcohol in the mouth are to be feared up to 20 minutes after the use of products. Depending on the medicine applied, considerable reproducible differences between individuals regarding the duration of residual alcohol in the mouth were observed. These were independent from odonto-stomatological findings, especially from prothetical supply with bridges and the presence of gingival pockets. The resulting recommendation is that the so-called control period be extended to 30 minutes.