A Comparison of Standard Inhalers for Asthma With and Without Alcohol as the Propellant on the Measurement of Alcohol in Breath

Abstract

Because most bronchodilator inhalers contain propellant gases or a small amount of ethanol as a co-solvent, the potential for these products to generate false readings on a evidential breath alcohol instrument was evaluated in 69 volunteers with clinically stable asthma. All subjects underwent a breath test on an infrared breath alcohol analyzer (Alcotest 7110, Dräger, Lübeck, Germany) before the use of the asthma inhaler and 1 and 5 min after inhalation. The effects of antiasthmatic medications delivered by metered dose inhalers (MDIs) with alcohol as a vehicle, alcohol-free MDIs, and dry powder inhalers were assessed in homogeneous groups of four to five patients. All subjects were alcohol-free on the preliminary breath test. One minute after inhalation, negative readings were only observed in 25 (36.2%) of subjects. In 62.3% of patients, apparent alcohol results were considered interferences or unstable readings by the breath-test instrument. One subject showed a final positive breath alcohol level (0.07 mg/L). After the use of dry powder inhalers, valid results without interferences were obtained. However, 89.6% of patients in which bronchodilators were delivered by MDIs (with propellant gases in the aerosol) showed altered partial readings and labeled the final output as "invalid," but tests performed 5 min after the use of inhalers were valid and correct in all cases. MDIs with propellants as a vehicle may cause false positive breath alcohol readings in some patients. These effects are transient and may be prevented by a 5-10-min interval between the use of MDIs and breath alcohol testing.

An unusual case of highly false-positive breath-alcohol test in a motor vehicle driver

“…Probably the most frequent is the question of residual mouth alcohol. Alcohol remaining in the oral cavity can alter the results of a single Breathalyser test [7][8][9][10]. The investigator should carefully ask for peroral use of any substances containing alcohol, which may distort the results of breath analysis to some extent, sometimes very seriously.…”

Can Handling E85 Motor Fuel Cause Positive Breath Alcohol Test Results?

“…The Primatene Mist resulted in an immediate BrAC of up to 0.12 g/210 L, which rapidly fell to 0 in ,5 min. Ignacio-Garcia et al (6) similarly studied 69 subjects using various inhalers, although only 10 subjects used one of two alcohol-containing inhalers. Of these, only one subject had a measurable BrAC of 0.07 at 1 min and all had no measurable BrAC at 5 min.…”

Evaluation of the effect of cologne and hand disinfectants on alcohol meter measurements.

“…Alkolmetre ile yapılan ölçümlerin, nefeste alkol düzeyini etkileyebilecek ürünlerin kullanımı veya tüketilmesinden hemen sonra ya da ilk 15 dakika içinde yalancı pozitif sonuçlara neden olabileceği belirtilmektedir. Ölçümlerde bu duruma dikkat edilmesi, sonucu etkileyebileceği düşünülen ürünlerin kullanımı veya tüketiminin sorgulanması ve şüphe doğuran bir durum varsa en az 15 dakika beklendikten sonra ölçüm yapılması gerektiği vurgulanmaktadır (15). Çalışmamızın amacı, alkolmetre ile yapılan ölçümler sonrası görülebilecek yanlış pozitif sonuçlara dikkat çekmek, bu durumdan mağdur olduğunu ifade eden insanların izlediği yolları ve nasıl girişimlerde bulunduklarını ortaya koymaktır.…”