The effect of vagotomy and a drainage procedure on alcohol tolerance

Abstract

An oral alcohol-tolerance test using a bodyweight-related dose of alcohol was performed on two groups of patients undergoing truncal vagotomy and a drainage procedure for uncomplicated chronic duodenal ulcer. Eight patients received 0.65g. of absolute alcohol per kg. body-weight and 12 received 0.35 g. per kg. body-weight. The test was performed before operation and 4 months after operation on each patient. After operation the peak blood-alcohol concentration was significantly higher than before operation, and occurred significantly sooner after the ingestion of alcohol. The cause of these changes is discussed, and it is concluded that they are probably due to an increased rate of gastric emptying. The relevance of these results to the Road Safety Act, 1967, is discussed.