The Significance of the Extrahepatic Elimination of Ethanol in Determination of Hepatic Blood Flow by Means of Ethanol: (A Comparison Between the Ethanol and Bromsulfalein Method)

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Abstract
The conditions necessary for calculation of the hepatic blood flow from the elimination curve of ethanol in peripheral blood were investigated by hepatic venous catheterization and determination of the hepatic blood flow by the bromsulfalein method. It was found that the extraction of ethanol by the liver was almost complete (96%) at low concentration, except in patients with reduced liver function due to cirrhosis of the liver. The existence of extrahepatic elimination of ethanol was moreover confirmed. This extrahepatic elimination of ethanol invalidates the use of ethanol elimination curves in the peripheral blood for determinations of the hepatic blood flow, unless a simple correction for the extra hepatic elimination can be made.

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