Do Ethanol and Deuterium Oxide Distribute Into the Same Water Space in Healthy Volunteers?

Abstract

Ethanol does not distribute uniformly into the TBW. The precision of measuring Vss by ethanol dilution was comparable to estimates of TBW by isotope dilution. Results of noninvasive breath ethanol analysis compared well with use of venous blood for estimating Vss. The sophisticated two-compartment model was much superior to the classical one-compartment model in explaining the total concentration-time course of intravenously given ethanol.