Measuring of end-expired breath ethanol concentration following percutaneous ethanol injections (PEI) carried out on patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma - A comparison between venous and arterial ethanol concentrations and end-expired breath

Measuring breath alcohol concentration in intubated patients during PEI to treat a hepatocellular carcinoma is a procedure, which when exercised without fault yields reliable and immediate results. The results correlate closely with blood alcohol concentrations. The BrAC values allow immediately after therapy an assessment of existing blood alcohol concentrations and make it thus possible for the doctor to assess quickly the injected amount of ethanol without exposing the patient to risk. Measurings can be repeated as often as necessary. Determination of breath alcohol determination can also be used to get a reliable overview of blood alcohol concentration of an intubated patient with multiple injuries in an emergency Situation. Both devices used in this study are equally well suited to measure reliable breath alcohol, exclusively the supplied additional materials by the manufacturer were used to determine the breath ethanol concentration. The use of devices in secondary flow is from a technical as well as operational point much more complicated.