Citation

Verner L, Schneider U, Gebel M, Panning B, Wiese B, Troger HD, Breitmeier D. Blutalkohol 2005; 42(4): 272-284.

Affiliation

Anasthesiologie I, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) under sonographic guidance is a non-surgical ablation method for HCC. In cases of HCC with advanced stages of cirrhosis, PEI represents one of the few therapeutic concepts that is expected to improve patients survival time and quality of life. The blood ethanol concentration of 14 patients during and after PEI was monitored. Blood ethanol concentrations up to 1.62 (per mille) were reached and clearly marked inebriation symptoms have been observed. The kinetic of the blood ethanol concentration propably did not follow a kinetic of zero or first order as long as the tumour release ethanol into the hepatic veins. It can be concluded, that the release of ethanol from the tumour varies rapidly after injection. This effect differs to the typical ethanol distribution and elimination after oral intake. Therefore in the acute phase a reliable prediction of blood ethanol levels after PEI is impossible. After percutaneous ethanol injection the relationship between the maximum of the blood ethanol concentration and the volume of ethanol administered was statistically significant. For the clinicians the volume of administered ethanol is only one unsuitable parameter to estimate the blood ethanol concentration and iatrogenic intoxications especially under general anaesthesia. Because of the obvious inebriation symptoms after this procedure and the unpredictable release of ethanol out of the tumour into hepatic veins under forensic conditions therefore it is advisable that after PEI patients remain in the hospital under adequate monitoring in order to minimise the risk of iatrogenic ethanol intoxication.