Effect of hypothermia on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol in piglets

Gideon Koren, Charmain Barker, Desmond Bohn, Geraldine Kent, Michael McGuigan, Douglas Biggar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effect of hypothermia (29 C) on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol was studied in eight piglets serving as their own normothermic controls. Ten milliliters of 12% ethanol per kilogram were infused over 30 minutes, and serum ethanol concentrations were measured for seven hours. Ethanol concentration data were fitted to one-compartment open model assuming Michaelis Menten elimination kinetics. During hypothermia, ethanol concentrations were consistently higher than during normothermia. This observation could be explained by both a significantly smaller distribution volume of ethanol during hypothermia (0.71 ± 0.03 L/kg at 29 C and 0.84 ± 0.05 L/kg at 37 C, P < .02) and a significantly slower maximum velocity of metabolism of ethanol (Vm) during hypothermia (1.12 ± 0.11 mg/kg·min vs 1.83 ± 0.21 mg/kg·min, P < .01). Our study indicates that during hypothermia, ethanol stays significantly longer in the circulation in piglets. Potentially, this may contribute to a more profound effect from the ethanol.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)118-121
Number of pages4
JournalAnnals of Emergency Medicine
Volume18
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1989
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ethanol, effect of hypothermia
  • hypothermia, ethanol

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