5-Minute Emergency Consult
Methanol Poisoning
Methanol Poisoning is a topic covered in the 5-Minute Emergency Consult.
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Basics
Description
Description
- Colorless, volatile liquid
- Absorbed in 30–60 min
- Metabolized by liver
- Half-life 4–8 hr
- Pathophysiology:
- Metabolites formaldehyde and formic acid produce toxic effects
- Inhibits cytochrome oxidase
- Formic acid:
- Determines degree of acidosis, visual symptoms, and mortality
- Directly toxic to retinal and optic nerve tissue
- Methanol metabolism:
- Step 1: Methanol is converted to formaldehyde by liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase
- Step 2: Formaldehyde is then rapidly converted by aldehyde dehydrogenase to formic acid
- Step 3: Formic acid is degraded to carbon dioxide and water by folate-dependent mechanism
- Steps 1 and 3 are rate-limiting steps
Etiology
Common sources of methanol:Etiology
- Wood alcohol
- Windshield washer fluid (>60% cases)
- Inhalational abuse of carburetor cleaners
- Fuel antifreeze solutions
- Formalin
- Gasoline
- Paint solvents
- Household cleaners
- Sterno cans
- Moonshine
- Model airplane fuel
- Photocopying fluid
- Perfumes
-- To view the remaining sections of this topic, please log in or purchase a subscription --
Basics
Description
Description
- Colorless, volatile liquid
- Absorbed in 30–60 min
- Metabolized by liver
- Half-life 4–8 hr
- Pathophysiology:
- Metabolites formaldehyde and formic acid produce toxic effects
- Inhibits cytochrome oxidase
- Formic acid:
- Determines degree of acidosis, visual symptoms, and mortality
- Directly toxic to retinal and optic nerve tissue
- Methanol metabolism:
- Step 1: Methanol is converted to formaldehyde by liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase
- Step 2: Formaldehyde is then rapidly converted by aldehyde dehydrogenase to formic acid
- Step 3: Formic acid is degraded to carbon dioxide and water by folate-dependent mechanism
- Steps 1 and 3 are rate-limiting steps
Etiology
Common sources of methanol:Etiology
- Wood alcohol
- Windshield washer fluid (>60% cases)
- Inhalational abuse of carburetor cleaners
- Fuel antifreeze solutions
- Formalin
- Gasoline
- Paint solvents
- Household cleaners
- Sterno cans
- Moonshine
- Model airplane fuel
- Photocopying fluid
- Perfumes
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Citation
Schaider, Jeffrey J., et al., editors. "Methanol Poisoning." 5-Minute Emergency Consult, 5th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2016. Emergency Central, emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307555/1.3/Methanol_Poisoning.
Methanol Poisoning. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, et al, eds. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2016. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307555/1.3/Methanol_Poisoning. Accessed March 23, 2023.
Methanol Poisoning. (2016). In Schaider, J. J., Barkin, R. M., Hayden, S. R., Wolfe, R. E., Barkin, A. Z., Shayne, P., & Rosen, P. (Eds.), 5-Minute Emergency Consult (5th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307555/1.3/Methanol_Poisoning
Methanol Poisoning [Internet]. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, Wolfe RER, Barkin AZA, Shayne PP, Rosen PP, editors. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2016. [cited 2023 March 23]. Available from: https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307555/1.3/Methanol_Poisoning.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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T1 - Methanol Poisoning
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ED - Hayden,Stephen R,
ED - Wolfe,Richard E,
BT - 5-Minute Emergency Consult
UR - https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307555/1.3/Methanol_Poisoning
PB - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ET - 5
DB - Emergency Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
