Monitoring fluid absorption using 1% ethanol-tagged glycine during operative hysteroscopy

Abstract Study Objective. To assess the value of expired breath ethanol as a marker of irrigating fluid absorption during hysteroscopic surgery using 1% ethanol-tagged 1.5% glycine. Design. Prospective analysis. Setting. Endoscopy training center of a university hospital. Patients. Forty-eight women undergoing major hysteroscopic surgery for menorrhagia (40 transcervical endometrial resections, 8 rollerball endometrial ablations). Interventions. Expired breath ethanol and venous blood samples were taken before and at 10-minute intervals during surgery. Volumetric absorption of irrigating fluid was checked at the same time. Measurements and Main Results. Expired breath ethanol concentration, serum ethanol, several biochemical variables, and volume of absorbed irrigating fluid (direct and indirect) were measured. There was a linear positive correlation (r=0.86, p