[Blood methanol as a marker of alcoholism. A diagnostic component within the scope of expert assessment of driving competence in alcoholic intoxication].

Abstract

A blood methanol test which was done in addition to routine diagnosis of the blood methanol level of persons with alcohol driving delicts in the past who were alcoholized during the medical-psychological investigation (MPU) produced differently significant cues for (pre) alcoholism in nearly all persons. As a result 15 out of 40 persons reached a blood methanol level of 10 mg% and more (24 more persons a level between 1.5 and 9.9 mg%). This is a clear indicator of pathological alcohol drinking. Persons with a breath alcohol concentration from 0.2 to 0.99/1000 showed an average blood ethanol concentration of less than 10 mg%, but above 1.5 mg%, where as those persons with an alcohol level above this limit had a blood methanol concentration significantly above 10 mg%. The arithmetical mean and the standard deviation were significantly elevated compared to the range of reference, an effect that didn't show as clearly with the median of the Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). The mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes (MCV) reacted less sensitively. The correlation between the five parametres (blood ethanol at the last alcohol driving delict, breath alcohol concentration, GGT, MCV, blood methanol) were all significantly positive with one exception: the correlation between the breath alcohol and the blood methanol level. Altogether the results support the hypotheses that the protective assertions of the subjects concerned are hard to believe, even those of persons with a lower blood alcohol level. An additional test of the blood methanol level should be done, however, with persons reaching an alcoholization between 0.2 and 1.0/1000 during the MPU.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)