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Methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning: a case study and review of current literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

William R. Henderson  and
Jeffrey Brubacher
William R. Henderson*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, Vancouver, BC
Jeffrey Brubacher
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, Vancouver, BC
*
Department of Emergency Medicine, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, 855 W 12th Ave., Vancouver BC V5Z 1M9; fax 604 737-1959; whenderson@axion.net

Abstract

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Poisoning is an uncommon but potentially fatal outcome of toxic alcohol ingestion. The toxic alcohols methanol, ethylene glycol and isopropyl alcohol are commonly found in household and commercial products. Because the toxic effects are caused by the metabolites of methanol and ethylene glycol rather than the agents themselves, there is often a substantial delay between ingestion and onset of clinical toxicity. Anion and osmolar gaps are often used for the diagnosis and exclusion of these sometimes subtle overdoses. The pitfalls of using these tests to rule out alcohol ingestion are reviewed. Ethanol infusion is the traditional therapy for such overdoses. In addition to the pathophysiology and clinical findings in poisoning, recent evidence for the use of fomepizole and adjuvant therapies is reviewed.

Keywords

methanolethylene glycoltoxicologyfomepizoleosmolar gapalcoholspoisoning
Type
Toxicology • Toxicologie
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , January 2002 , pp. 34 - 40
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2002

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