[Importance of evaluating clinical symptoms of alcoholic intoxication]

The authors studied the relationship between the blood alcohol concentration and the categories of alcohol intoxication established by means of examining the clinical signs of intoxication in a drinking test, and by analyzing the reports on driving while intoxicated (DWI). In the drinking test the relative increase of viso-motor reaction time was an accurate indicator of the blood alcohol levels. In almost half of the cases there was no correlation between the clinical signs and the blood alcohol concentration. When alcohol and medicine was used in combination a more severe intoxication was frequently assumed. Therefore, if the reported intoxication based on clinical signs indicates a more severe intoxication than that correlating with the blood alcohol concentration, the toxicologic analysis of the blood samples are unconditionally necessary.