Citation

Waring WS. Medicine (Abingdon) 2020; 48(3): 185-188.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Medicine Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.mpmed.2019.12.009

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Ethanol intoxication is widely encountered and can cause coma, hypotension, hypoglycaemia and acid-base disturbances. Isopropyl alcohol and its metabolite acetone cause profound depression of the central nervous system with rapid onset. Toxic alcohols include methanol, ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol; these cause severe metabolic acidosis, acute renal failure and, for methanol, severe visual disturbance. Toxicity is attributable to metabolites rather than the alcohol or glycol, and there is a characteristic delay between ingestion and severe toxicity. Management strategies include early administration of fomepizole, to minimize formation of toxic metabolites, and haemodialysis to remove metabolites in patients presenting late.

Language: en

Keywords

Anion gap; blindness; diethylene glycol; ethanol; ethylene glycol; fomepizole; haemodialysis; isopropyl alcohol; metabolic acidosis; methanol; MRCP; renal failure