Journal of Drug Metabolism & Toxicology
Open Access

Domestic ethanol intoxication associated with severe metabolic acidosis and high mortality

International Conference on Toxicogenomics and Drug Monitoring

August 25-27, 2015 Valencia, Spain

Ioan Magyar

Oradea University, Romania

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Drug Metab Toxicol

Abstract :

Ethanol or two-carbon alcohol ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is the most intentionally consumed alcohol. Ethanol is one of the oldest drugs and is the primary alcohol present in fermented and distilled beverages. It is also the most commonly used psychoactive drug (and legal drug) in the world. Ethanol is a powerful CNS depressant that acts primarily on the reticular activating system in the brain. In fact, its actions are qualitatively similar to those of general anesthetics. Our work illustrates a study on sixteen cases of voluntary ingestion of toxic alcohol presented in a period of two months (March-April, 2013) at the Emergency Department (ED) of the County Emergency Hospital in Oradea. From the history taking it was highlighted that all patients seen had a history of recreational drinking and in some cases the alcohol consumed was homemade. The symptoms started initially with inebriated status which quickly progressed to general weakness, agitation, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, blindness and a rapid drop in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) from 15 to an average of 5. In eight, out of sixteen cases, patients attended the department with a GCS of 15. Then their conscious state quickly deteriorated to comatose and cardiac arrest occurred within one hour from admission to ED for three patients. Two other patients were brought to ED, one with visual loss and the other with confusion and agitation status. Both maintained their conscious level for the entire stay in hospital. Despite emergency treatment, the condition of thirteen patients quickly deteriorated towards Multiple Organ System Failure (MOSF). This last group presented with severe acidosis (pH=6.7 on average). The overall mortality was very high (75%). In fact, the high mortality rate, in this data, associated with severe metabolic acidosis resulted from methanol intoxication.