DIABETES, BREATH ACETONE AND BREATHALYZER ACCURACY: A CASE STUDY

In this case study, blood glucose and breath alcohol were measured and behavioral observations were made of a hypoglycemic 42-year-old male diabetic immediately prior to receiving insulin treatment. The subjects's blood glucose levels ranged from 53 mg/dL to less than 40 mg/dL. Near simultaneous Breathalyzer test results were generally less than 0.01%. The results suggest that although hypoglycemia in diabetics produces behavioral symptoms of gross alcohol intoxication, even extreme physiological changes in blood chemistry do not alter the results of a Breathalzyer test by more than 0.01%.

• Corporate Authors:

  Brain Information Service

  Brain Research Institute University of California
  Los Angeles, CA  United States  90024-1746
• Authors:
  • Brick, J
• Publication Date: 1993-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 27-28
• Serial:
  • ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND DRIVING
  • Volume: 9
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Acetates; Alcohol breath tests; Behavior; Case studies; Diabetes; Drivers; Impaired drivers; Random breath tests; Solvents
• Uncontrolled Terms: Acetone
• Old TRIS Terms: Breathalyzers
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00633708
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 21 1993 12:00AM