Acute alcohol ingestion and platelet function.

A substantial number of severely injured patients are under the influence of alcohol, making it important to understand the effects of acute alcoholic intoxication on the clotting mechanism. Twenty healthy volunteers ingested commercial liquor over a four-hour period and were observed for another three hours. Peak blood alcohol levels were above 200 mg/dL in four subjects and between 100 and 200 mg/dL in 12. Platelet counts, platelet aggregation, and bleeding times were not significantly altered over the seven hours. This study demonstrates that acute alcoholic intoxication in healthy persons does not alter platelet function.