Does Acute Consumption Of Large Alcohol Amounts Lead To Pancreatic Injury - A Prospective-Study Of Serum Pancreatic-Enzymes In 300 Drunken Drivers

Blood samples of 300 consecutive subjects suspected for drunken driving were prospectively analyzed for concentrations of pancreatic and hepatic enzymes. Mean alcohol concentration was 1.5 +/- 0.8 0/00 (+/- SD; range 0-3.7 0/00). Increased enzyme concentrations were found in 25/300 subjects for amylase, in 43/300 for trypsin, in 49/300 for gamma-glutamyl transferase and in 82/300 for glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase. Subjects with alcohol concentrations greater than 1 0/00 had abnormal pancreatic and hepatic enzymes more frequently than subjects with alcohol concentrations smaller than 1 0/00. However, pancreatic enzyme levels were higher than twice the upper normal limit only in 3/300 subjects, whereas hepatic enzyme levels exceeded twice the upper normal limit in 31/300 subjects. Therefore, other factors in addition to alcohol are necessary to initiate acute pancreatitis. The liver is more susceptible to acute injury by alcohol than the pancreas.