Showing papers on "Breath test published in 1974"

14C-Tripalmitin Breath Test as a Diagnostic Aid for Fat Malabsorption Due to Pancreatic Insufficiency

Abstract: Specific radioactivity of expired 14CO2 after ingestion of a test meal containing 5 µCi of 14C-labeled tripalmitin was measured at 1-hr intervals for 8 hr and also at 24 hr. Two or more days later, the test was repeated with ten tablets of Viokase (containng 650 FIP units of lipase per tablet) given immediately after the 14C-test meal. A mean peak specific radioactivity of expired 14CO2 (14CO2 value, expressed as percent dose per millimole × 104) without Viokase was 53.3 ± 3.3 (1 s.e.m.) for ten normal subjects and 25.8 ± 5.1 for 18 malabsorption patients. The test was repeated with Viokase in seven fat malabsorption patients with pancreatic involvement and fat malabsorption patients with no evidence of pancreatic involvement. The parameters examined were the absolute increase in the peak 14CO2 value due to Viokase administration and the ratio of post-Viokase to pre-Viokase peak 14CO2 values. Both parameters for the group with pancreatic involvement (the increase of 27.9 ± 3.4 and the ratio of 6.1 ± 1.7) were significantly greater than those for the group with no evidence of pancreatic involvement (5.2 ± 1.4 and 1.3 ± 0.1) (p

Breath Measurement Instrumentation as Alcohol Safety Interlock Systems

Abstract: This report describes the results of field tests of in-car instruments which measure alcohol on the driver's breath and prevent him from operating his vehicle if intoxicated. Two types of breath alcohol sensors were used for these tests; a fuel-cell type developed by TSC, and a semiconductor type from the Borg-Warner Corporation. Eight vehicles were equipped with the breath measurement and instrumentation and given to volunteer subjects. Subjects returned to TSC weekly to allow calibration checks of the instrumentation, determination of their reaction to the devices and discussion of any attempts to circumvent the breath test interlock. The results of the field test indicate that breath measurement interlocks are basically feasible, but that more engineering effort needs to be expended to advance the alcohol sensor technology required for the production of sensors with uniform and predictable characteristics. The utility of currently available sensors is limited by erratic calibration drift. The field test also indicates circumvention to be a major problem and solutions to the problem do not appear to be cost effective.