Increased ventricular ectopy and sleep apnea following ethanol ingestion in COPD patients

The effects were assessed of ingestion of 1 ml/kg of 100 proof vodka on sleep-disordered breathing, nocturnal oxygen desaturation, and ventricular ectopy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ethanol ingestion (mean blood alcohol concentration of 40 mg/dl) was associated with a significant increase in the number of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) per night and the number of PVCs per hour of sleep-period time, but was not associated with other ventricular dysrhythmias. Ethanol also increased the number of episodes of apnea, total duration of apnea, and the number of episodes of apnea per hour of total sleep time, but there was no significant change in hypopnea or oxygen desaturation. Ethanol decreased total sleep time but did not significantly alter sleep stage distribution. This study demonstrates that moderate ethanol consumption increased ventricular ectopy and sleep apnea in patients with COPD.