View Full Version : BAC when passing out
beaniebaggirl
Apr 20, 2012, 10:13 AM
I need to know about Alcohol levels... If someone was found with a BAC level of .05 AFTER they "passed out" 14 hours prior... what was their BAC level when they passed out? Thank you
beaniebaggirl
Apr 20, 2012, 10:17 AM
I forgot to add, this is a male around 155 pound... thank you
DrBill100
Apr 20, 2012, 10:29 AM
There isn't a concise answer to your question. Much would depend on drinking history (tolerance) for alcohol.
A good guess would be in range of .30 - .35
beaniebaggirl
Apr 20, 2012, 10:32 AM
Thank you for your answer... he is an alcoholic who relapsed. He's currently in a coma, I thought the alcohol might've been the reason why?
DrBill100
Apr 20, 2012, 10:36 AM
Given that additional information, it is quite possible. He would be at high end of metabolism (EtOH) and would have required considerable consumption. 15-16 drinks, at his weight would result in BAC 29-31, alcoholics can often metabolize at nearly twice the normal rate.
But an intervening variable would be liver damage would send the calculations in the opposite direction. He could have consumed far less.
Anytime BAC exceeds .30 there should be concern. . 05 14 hours post-consumption is high and especially so considering the alcoholism.
beaniebaggirl
Apr 20, 2012, 10:49 AM
I'm not sure about the liver damage... no one mentioned anything about his liver being damaged... So it's a good guess to say it might have been around .30 when he went down?
DrBill100
Apr 20, 2012, 10:54 AM
I'm not sure about the liver damage...no one mentioned anything about his liver being damaged... So it's a good guess to say it might have been around .30 when he went down?
I'm assuming the BAC was obtained on admission and was probably monitored thereafter. Sequential blood tests, (or urine), can provide a rate of elimination from which a more accurate back-extrapolation of BAC could be made. In fact that is the only way that you can come close to making a valid interpretation.
beaniebaggirl
Apr 20, 2012, 10:56 AM
Thank you DrBill100