Alcohol study on blood concentration estimation: reliability and applicability of Widmark formula on Chinese male population

Leg Med (Tokyo). 2009 Jul;11(4):163-7. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2009.02.031. Epub 2009 Mar 13.

Abstract

Widmark formula suggests estimating blood alcohol concentration level (BAC) on a given amount of alcohol administrated with knowledge of subject's body weight and sex. The idea has been referenced extensively in forensic science with application in drink driving prosecution. A sample of Chinese subjects was collected in the drinking experiment, and in this study we mainly focus on the verification of the validity of Widmark formula on Chinese male population. A promising result is obtained where the extrapolated BAC measurement is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol administrated, and inversely to the subject's body weight. The results noted in the general linear model is further supported by the nonlinear regression analysis and a concordant argument reaches by deploying the concept to the BAC level attained at peak.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Automobile Driving / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Body Weight*
  • Breath Tests
  • Central Nervous System Depressants / blood*
  • Eating
  • Ethanol / blood*
  • Forensic Toxicology
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Regression Analysis*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Substance Abuse Detection / methods

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Depressants
  • Ethanol