Addiction biology
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Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) has been used to measure simultaneously the concentrations of both carbon disulphide and acetone in exhaled breath following the ingestion of a single dose of disulfiram (Antabuse). Carbon disulphide is a product of the metabolism of disulfiram and is excreted mainly through the lungs. Acetone is a product of normal metabolism and appears in the breath of all individuals. ⋯ Breath carbon disulphide was seen to increase from 15 p.p.b. to 618 p.p.b. over a 28-hour period, in the single individual tested, following ingestion of disulfiram, while acetone levels increased from 300 p.p.b. (normal) to over 4000 p.p.b. (greatly elevated). No such increases were seen in the breath of the control subject over the same period. An obvious positive correlation between breath carbon disulphide and acetone concentrations following disulfiram ingestion is seen and discussed.