ABSTRACT
Of the ethanol consumed, 90 to 98% is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. The rest is excreted as ethanol in the breath or in the urine. The metabolism of ethanol is shown in Figure 57.1. The rate of oxidation is fairly constant at about 10 to 20 mg/ml. This indicates that the fi rst rate-limiting reaction catalyzed by alcohol dehydrogenase is saturated at this level. This is a zero-order reaction. The average rate at which alcohol can be metabolized is about 10 ml/h (or 7 g/h). The ethanol in 4 oz of whisky requires 5 to 6 h to metabolize completely to CO2 and water. One mole of ethanol requires 16 moles of ATP for its conversion to CO2 and HOH.
