Oxygenation and ambient air pressure influences on alcohol-induced nystagmus in rabbits

The effect of ambient pressure with various inspiratory partial pressures of oxygen on the duration of positional alcohol nystagmus (PAN) was investigated in rabbits. In five groups of rabbits, partial pressures of oxygen were applied. Alcohol was administered intravenously in a dosage of 2.85 g/kg body weight. PAN was recorded by electronystagmography. Neither a change of ambient pressure, nor a variation of the inspired oxygen partial pressure had any influence on the duration of PAN. The blood alcohol concentration did not differ significantly between the groups. The theoretical discussion is completed with the practical message that oxygen therapy does not help sobering up. In 6 out of 46 rabbits followed, there occurred a positional alcohol nystagmus type II, i.e. with reversed beat direction.