[Alcohol tolerance and the clinical course of alcoholism]

The authors investigated in 250 hospitalized men in different clinical stages of alcoholism the alcohol tolerance and described the phenomenon of primary extension and secondary reduction in the variety of abused alcoholic beverages. While an increased tolerance was found in all patients, a markedly increased tolerance was recorded in 22% and the actual tolerance dominates unequivocally in toxicomanic drug dependence. In reduced tolerance (36%) associated findings such as hepatopathies, craniocerebral injury, epilepsy, ulceration etc. were present in 10%. The variety of alcoholic beverages comprised in 66.8% drinking of liquor with beer or wine--described by the author as the obligatory variety. In 20.4% preference of liquors was recorded, in 4.8% preference of wine, in 3.6% preference of beer. During secondary reduction of the variety (14%) in the majority the patients abandoned liquor in favour of wine, beer etc. Changes in the alcohol tolerance along with changes of the variety of consumed drinks are more marked within the framework of clinical pictures described by the author in the monograph "Klinika alkoholismu" (Clinical aspects of alcoholism) (1988). In systematic alcohol abuse (developing dependence) the increase of tolerance takes place along with profilization of the variety (obligatory variety, preference of liquors etc.). In alcoholic toxicomania dominates secondary and in particular actual tolerance with a markedly increased tolerance and preference of liquors. In habitual ethylism despite the increase the tolerance is not extreme, the obligatory variety dominates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)