Author/Editor		Jamšek, Marija
Title		Obravnava zastrupitve z alkoholom in diferencialna diagnoza
Translated title		Poisoning with alcohol: treatment and differential diagnosis
Type		članek
Source		In: Bručan A, Gričar M, Vajd R, editors. Urgentna medicina: izbrana poglavja. Zbornik 11. mednarodni simpozij o urgentni medicini; 2004 jun 9-12; Portorož. Ljubljana: Slovensko združenje za urgentno medicino,
Publication year		2004
Volume		str. 335-8
Language		slo
Abstract		Alcohol is the leading cause amongst toxicological cases presenting in emergency department. Ethanol is the commonest intoxicant in vast majority of cases. Luckily poisoning with other, more toxic alcohols, which include methanol, isopropranolol, bulanol is much more rare. According to data from the national Institute for Public Health, in the years 2001 and 2002, there were 1110 and 1081 patients respectively treated for ethanol posoning and 41 and 34 patients respectively treated for poisonings with other alcohols in general practices nationwide. Between the years 1988 and 1992 1738 patients suffering from ethanol poisoning were hospitalized in Slovenia, 114 patients died because of poisoning with etahnol, 10 from poisoning with other alcohols. In the period between 1998 and 2002 those numbers were 2118 (hospitalized), 146 (death by ethanol) and 7 (death by other alcohols) respectively. Severity of clinical picture dictates the decisions regarding further workup and treatment. One should always keep in mind the potential for rapid changes in clinical status and possible development of complications, which often determine the outcome. Other causes of changes in mental status must be considered in differential diagnosis, which include the likes of head trauma, hypoglycaemia, hypothermia, hypoxia, metabolic disturbances, other neurologic and infectious causes of mental status changes, kidney and liver disease. Treatment of acute intoxications involves mostly supportive measures, except for methanol poisoning where ethanol is used as an antidote.
Descriptors		ALCOHOLIC INTOXICATION DIAGNOSIS, DIFFERENTIAL