Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Methanol is a toxic raw material used in production of miscellaneous chemical substances. Even though methanol isn’t toxic, its metabolytes are toxic. Methanol intoxication can cause death by metabolic acidosis, brain damage, loss of vision and cardiovascular injury. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the demographic clinical and laboratory charactheristics of patients who referred to emergency department with methyl alcohol intake.

METHODS

Between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017, age, gender, complaints at arrival, clinical practices and hospital outcome of patients diagnosed with methyl alcohol intoxication at the emergency department were evaluated.

RESULTS

31 patients were included in the study. All of the patients were male. Mean age was 55.8±11.6. We found that 71% of patients referred with a complaint of blurred vision, 83.9% of patients had chronic alcohol intake and 58.1% of the patients had chronic diseases. Bicarbonate treatment was applied in 87.1%, dialysis was performed in 83.9%, ethyl alcohol was applied in %58.1 and folic acid treatment was applied in 48.4% of the patients. All patients were followed up in the intensive care unit and 25.8% of patients have died. It was observed that the mean values of pH, HCO3 and Glaskow coma scale (GKS) were lower, base excess (BE) and sodium were higher in the patients who died (p values were p=0.009, p= 0.003, p=0.009, p=0.012, p=0.001 respectively).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

It was found that methanol intoxication is more frequent in males and those with chronic alcohol intake and could be mortal in patients with low pH, HCO3 and GCS values and high sodium, BE values.