Comparison of Intravenous and Peroral Galactose Elimination Tests with and without Ethanol in Different Clinical Conditions

Abstract

Kesäniemi, Y. A., Kurppa, K. O. & Salaspuro, M. P. Comparison of intra-venous and peroral galactose elimination tests with and without ethanol in different clinical conditions. Scand. J. Gastroent. 1973, 8, 593-598.

Intravenous and peroral galactose elimination tests with and without previous ethanol loading have been performed on 23 control patients and on 18 pa-tients with various clinical conditions such as protein deficiency, liver cirrhosis, hyperthyroidism and pregnancy. The intravenous and peroral galactose elimination tests without a prior dose of ethanol seemed to be of equal value in revealing impaired liver function. Moreover, the intravenous and peroral galactose elimination tests after ethanol were found to be com-parable whether the inhibitory effect of ethanol upon galactose elimination was strong or weak. Erroneous test results were equally frequent in the two test modifications.

Key-words::

• Alcohol ethyl
• alcoholism
• galactose administration
• liver
• liver cirrhosis
• liver function tests
• pregnancy
• protein deficiency
• thyrotoxicosis