We undertook a study to determine the acute effects of routine firefighting on lung function and the relationship between these acute effects and nonspecific airway responsiveness. For 29 firefighters from a single fire station, we calculated the concentration of methacholine aerosol that caused a 100% increase in specific airway resistance (Pc100). Over an 8-week period we than measured FEV1 and FVC in each firefighter before and after each 24-hr workshift and after every fire. From 199 individual workshifts without fires, we calculated the mean +/- 2 SD across-workshift change in FEV1 and FVC for each firefighter. Eighteen of 76 measurements obtained within 2 hr after a fire (24%) showed a greater than 2 SD fall in FEV1 and/or FVC compared to two of 199 obtained after routine workshifts without fires (1%; p less than .001). On 13 of 18 occasions when spirometry decreased significantly, we obtained repeat spirometry (postshift) 3-18.5 hr after fires, and on four of these occasions FEV1 and/or FVC were still more than 2 SD below baseline. Decrements in spirometry occurred as often in firefighters with high Pc100s as in those with low Pc100s. In two firefighters in whom FEV1 and FVC fell by more than 10% after fires, we repeated measurements of methacholine sensitivity, and it was increased over the prestudy baseline. These findings suggest that routine firefighting is associated with a high incidence of acute decrements in lung function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A variety of breads and soft drinks were tested and found to contain low concentrations of alcohol. The potential for these products to generate false readings on an evidential breath-alcohol instrument was evaluated. Alcohol-free subjects ingested these products and then provided breath samples into a DataMaster. It was found that breath samples provided immediately after consumption of some of these products, or with them still present in the mouth, did produce low levels of apparent breath alcohol, which may or may not be rejected as invalid by the breath-test instrument. If the subject swallowed or expectorated the food or beverage and then observed a 15-min deprivation period during which nothing was introduced into the mouth, the apparent effect was eliminated. These findings emphasize the need for the mandatory pretest alcohol-deprivation period and the benefits of duplicate breath sampling.

Beer consumption is commonly an issue in a medico-legal setting, requiring estimates either of a likely blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for a given pattern of consumption or vice versa. Four hundred and four beers and malt beverages available for sale in the State of Washington were tested by gas chromatography for their alcohol content. Considerable variability in the alcoholic strength was found, even within the same class. Overall the range of concentrations was 2.92%v/v to 15.66%v/v. The mean alcohol concentration for ales was 5.51%v/v (SD 1.23%v/v), and for lagers, 5.32% (SD 1.43%v/v). Some specialty brews had characteristically higher or lower mean concentrations; ice beers 6.07%v/v, malt liquor 7.23%v/v, light beer 4.13%v/v, seasonal ales 6.30%v/v. Six brands of lager and four light beers account for the majority of all beer sales in the United States, and the mean alcohol concentration for these products was measured as 4.73%v/v and 4.10%v/v respectively. Few of the beers (17%) were labeled with respect to alcohol content, and in some cases, there was a significant disparity between the concentration listed on the label, and the measured alcohol concentration. Toxicologists need to exercise caution when performing Widmark type calculations, using all available information to select the most appropriate estimate for alcoholic strength of a beer or malt beverage.

In a double-blind, randomized, crossover study in ten patients with asthma, the effects on specific airway resistance of esmolol, a new ultra-short-acting beta 1-selective adrenoceptor blocker, were compared with those of placebo. Specific airway resistance was measured during increasing doses of esmolol infusion, during dry air provocation tests, and following isoproterenol inhalation. These same studies were later carried out on six of ten patients following intravenous propranolol infusion. All patients were able to tolerate the maximum dose of esmolol (300 micrograms/kg/min); treatment differences between esmolol and placebo were not found. In contrast, intravenous propranolol produced marked symptomatic bronchoconstriction after the lowest dose (1 mg) in two of six patients. Esmolol produced slight but statistically significant enhancement of patients' sensitivity to dry air provocation. Similarly, a slight but significant inhibition of bronchomotor sensitivity to isoproterenol was noted during esmolol infusion. After infusion of 5 mg of intravenous propranolol, one of four patients had a clinically significant increase in sensitivity to dry air. It is concluded that esmolol, because of its short duration of action and relative lack of effect on airway resistance, may be preferred over propranolol in patients with asthma who require treatment with an intravenous beta-blocking agent.

We present data from the analysis of the alcohol content of 391 beers and malt beverages available for sale in the State of Washington. The beverages were tested by gas chromatography for their alcohol content. Considerable variability in the alcoholic strength was found, even within the same class. Overall, the range of concentrations was 2.92% (v/v) to 15.66% (v/v). The alcohol content of beverages consumed is a critical factor in Widmark or volume-of-distribution-type calculations used to estimate blood or breath alcohol content from patterns of alcohol consumption. Using the correct alcohol content for beer, when the brand is known, can make a significant difference in the reliability of the calculation, and the data presented here should assist with optimizing the accuracy of the calculation.