Toxic alcohol diagnosis and management: an emergency medicine review

Patrick Chow Yuen Ng; Brit J. Long; William Tyler Davis; Daniel J. Sessions; Alex Koyfman

doi:10.1007/s11739-018-1799-9

Toxic alcohol diagnosis and management: an emergency medicine review

Patrick Chow Yuen Ng, Brit J. Long, William Tyler Davis, Daniel J. Sessions, Alex Koyfman

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Toxic alcohols are a group of substances containing a hydroxyl group not meant to be ingested. They are the cause of a significant number of accidental and non-accidental exposures. Toxic alcohol poisoning can be associated with a significant degree of morbidity and mortality if not promptly recognized and treated. This review describes the clinical presentation and an approach to the recognition and management for toxic alcohol poisoning. Toxic alcohols classically refer to a group of alcohols not meant for ingestion. Methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropyl alcohol are readily available in common hardware and household materials. Toxic alcohols are ingested for a variety of reasons including accidental exposures, intentional inebriation, homicide and suicide. The patient with an altered mental status or concerning history warrants consideration of this potentially deadly ingestion. Treatment considerations include alcohol dehydrogenase blockade and hemodialysis. Toxic alcohol poisoning can be an elusive diagnosis. This review evaluates toxic alcohol poisoning signs and symptoms and an approach to diagnosis and management.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	375-383
Number of pages	9
Journal	Internal and Emergency Medicine
Volume	13
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-018-1799-9
State	Published - Apr 1 2018

Keywords

Alcohol
Ethylene glycol
Fomepizole
Hemodialysis
Isopropyl alcohol
Methanol
Toxic alcohol

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Internal Medicine
Emergency Medicine

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10.1007/s11739-018-1799-9

Cite this

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title = "Toxic alcohol diagnosis and management: an emergency medicine review",

abstract = "Toxic alcohols are a group of substances containing a hydroxyl group not meant to be ingested. They are the cause of a significant number of accidental and non-accidental exposures. Toxic alcohol poisoning can be associated with a significant degree of morbidity and mortality if not promptly recognized and treated. This review describes the clinical presentation and an approach to the recognition and management for toxic alcohol poisoning. Toxic alcohols classically refer to a group of alcohols not meant for ingestion. Methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropyl alcohol are readily available in common hardware and household materials. Toxic alcohols are ingested for a variety of reasons including accidental exposures, intentional inebriation, homicide and suicide. The patient with an altered mental status or concerning history warrants consideration of this potentially deadly ingestion. Treatment considerations include alcohol dehydrogenase blockade and hemodialysis. Toxic alcohol poisoning can be an elusive diagnosis. This review evaluates toxic alcohol poisoning signs and symptoms and an approach to diagnosis and management.",

keywords = "Alcohol, Ethylene glycol, Fomepizole, Hemodialysis, Isopropyl alcohol, Methanol, Toxic alcohol",

author = "Ng, {Patrick Chow Yuen} and Long, {Brit J.} and Davis, {William Tyler} and Sessions, {Daniel J.} and Alex Koyfman",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Dr. Jeffrey Brent, MD, PhD, Distinguished Clinical Professor, Medicine-Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, for valuable feedback in reviewing this manuscript. This manuscript did not utilize any grants, and it has not been presented in abstract form. This clinical review has not been published, it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright-holder. This review does not reflect the views or opinions of the US government, Department of Defense, US Army, US Air Force, or SAUSHEC EM Residency Program. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018, SIMI.",

year = "2018",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1007/s11739-018-1799-9",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "13",

pages = "375--383",

journal = "Internal and Emergency Medicine",

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T1 - Toxic alcohol diagnosis and management

T2 - an emergency medicine review

AU - Ng, Patrick Chow Yuen

AU - Long, Brit J.

AU - Davis, William Tyler

AU - Sessions, Daniel J.

AU - Koyfman, Alex

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank Dr. Jeffrey Brent, MD, PhD, Distinguished Clinical Professor, Medicine-Clinical Pharmacology/Toxicology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, for valuable feedback in reviewing this manuscript. This manuscript did not utilize any grants, and it has not been presented in abstract form. This clinical review has not been published, it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright-holder. This review does not reflect the views or opinions of the US government, Department of Defense, US Army, US Air Force, or SAUSHEC EM Residency Program. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: © 2018, SIMI.

PY - 2018/4/1

Y1 - 2018/4/1

N2 - Toxic alcohols are a group of substances containing a hydroxyl group not meant to be ingested. They are the cause of a significant number of accidental and non-accidental exposures. Toxic alcohol poisoning can be associated with a significant degree of morbidity and mortality if not promptly recognized and treated. This review describes the clinical presentation and an approach to the recognition and management for toxic alcohol poisoning. Toxic alcohols classically refer to a group of alcohols not meant for ingestion. Methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropyl alcohol are readily available in common hardware and household materials. Toxic alcohols are ingested for a variety of reasons including accidental exposures, intentional inebriation, homicide and suicide. The patient with an altered mental status or concerning history warrants consideration of this potentially deadly ingestion. Treatment considerations include alcohol dehydrogenase blockade and hemodialysis. Toxic alcohol poisoning can be an elusive diagnosis. This review evaluates toxic alcohol poisoning signs and symptoms and an approach to diagnosis and management.

AB - Toxic alcohols are a group of substances containing a hydroxyl group not meant to be ingested. They are the cause of a significant number of accidental and non-accidental exposures. Toxic alcohol poisoning can be associated with a significant degree of morbidity and mortality if not promptly recognized and treated. This review describes the clinical presentation and an approach to the recognition and management for toxic alcohol poisoning. Toxic alcohols classically refer to a group of alcohols not meant for ingestion. Methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropyl alcohol are readily available in common hardware and household materials. Toxic alcohols are ingested for a variety of reasons including accidental exposures, intentional inebriation, homicide and suicide. The patient with an altered mental status or concerning history warrants consideration of this potentially deadly ingestion. Treatment considerations include alcohol dehydrogenase blockade and hemodialysis. Toxic alcohol poisoning can be an elusive diagnosis. This review evaluates toxic alcohol poisoning signs and symptoms and an approach to diagnosis and management.

KW - Alcohol

KW - Ethylene glycol

KW - Fomepizole

KW - Hemodialysis

KW - Isopropyl alcohol

KW - Methanol

KW - Toxic alcohol

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JO - Internal and Emergency Medicine

JF - Internal and Emergency Medicine

IS - 3

ER -

Toxic alcohol diagnosis and management: an emergency medicine review

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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