We designed a study to compare breath alcohol values (BrAV) and blood ethanol concentrations (BEC) following ingestion of an ethanol-containing cough-cold preparation.

Materials and Methods. We recruited 6 healthy adult volunteers. Prior to participation, each subject refrained from medications and ethanol for 24 h and fasted for 2 h. An indwelling intravenous catheter was placed, and a baseline BEC (EMIT assay) was obtained. Each subject also exhaled into a breath alcohol measuring device (Alco-Sensor III, Intoximeters, Inc.). Subjects then drank a standard 1-ounce dose of a cough-cold preparation, containing ethanol 10%, doxylamine, dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine, and acetaminophen (Vicks Nyquil). Repeat BrAV and BEC were determined at 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 and 90 min.

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