Poisoning with surrogates of alcohol

Alcohol poisoning poisoning is very dangerous, as often accompanied by severe pathological lesions of the liver, kidneys, central nervous system. Such defeats often end in the lethal outcome of the poisoned.

Part of the poisoning is associated with the use of poor quality alcohol, but in most cases poisoning with alcohol substitutes occurs in chronic alcoholics who use household chemicals, medicinal fluids and technical spirits.

Table of contents: Classification of alcohol surrogates Symptoms of poisoning with alcohol substitutes

Classification of alcohol substitutes

What are surrogates of alcohol?These are liquids, which contain alcohol, which are used in everyday life and for technical needs.They are used for the purpose of intoxication, when ordinary alcoholic beverages are not available.To the group of surrogates of alcohol can be attributed and substandard / counterfeit wine, cognac, vodka and other types of alcoholic beverages.

All surrogates of alcohol are divided into two large groups:

1. True surrogates are liquids containing ethanol.This group includes medicines( tincture of hawthorn or motherwort), colognes, lotions and technical ethyl alcohol.To more dangerous surrogates of this group are household fluids - for example, antifreeze, brake fluid, varnish, BF glue, washing agents for walls, solvents.They contain alcohol of sulfate or hydrolysis type, methyl alcohol impurities, essential oils, methanol, dyes, aldehydes, acetone and other toxic substances.
2. Substances in which there is no ethyl alcohol, but they cause intoxication.These substances have another name - false surrogates.These include butyl, formic, methyl, amyl and propyl alcohol, as well as dichloroethane and liquids for various purposes, sold in high concentration.It is these "false surrogates" that are considered very poisonous, they represent a real danger to human life.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the dangers of counterfeit alcoholic beverages - poisonous compounds( for example, methyl alcohol) fall into them, which in most cases lead to the lethal outcome of .

Symptoms of poisoning with alcohol substitutes

The first signs of this phenomenon are nausea and vomiting, dizziness and abdominal pain, severe headache and a feeling of faintness.But the further symptoms are of a variable nature and depend only on what exactly the person has poisoned.

Methyl alcohol

The condition of the poisoned will depend directly on how much of the drink has been consumed.The lethal dose of methyl alcohol is 100 ml.

The first symptoms of poisoning by this surrogate of alcohol will be :

• nausea and vomiting;
• "flies" before the eyes;
• dry and red skin.

During the first 24 hours after poisoning, the victim develops a strong thirst, severe abdominal pain, intense headache, double vision, paroxysmal pain in the calf muscles.

With severe development of poisoning, the blindness develops rapidly in the victim, cramps and tension of the occipital muscles appear, the heart rhythm is broken and blood pressure drops.If the amount of the drunk surrogate is close to the lethal dose, then a person coma, a possible stopping of breathing.

Note: if ethyl alcohol drinks were consumed simultaneously with methyl alcohol, the clinical picture will be less pronounced, since ethyl alcohol can partially neutralize methanol.

The described symptoms of methyl alcohol poisoning are identical to the clinical picture when poisoning with ant alcohol.

Ethylene glycol

The lethal dose of this substance is 150 ml .After 6-8 hours after using the alcohol substitute in question, the victim has a headache, severe thirst, too frequent diarrhea, almost indomitable vomiting, intense pain in the abdomen and lower back, skin and mucous become red with a bluish tinge.

If severe poisoning with ethylene glycol occurred, that is, the victim used a dose close to the deadly, then he will have a pupil dilated and excessive excitement, a little later there will be convulsions, the patient loses consciousness.The terminal stage of ethylene glycol poisoning is characterized by cardiac insufficiency, pulmonary edema, acute hepatic and renal insufficiency.

What to do when poisoning with alcohol substitutes

If there is a suspicion of poisoning with surrogates of alcohol, you should immediately call an ambulance brigade.It should be remembered that no lotions and medicinal herbs will not help - signs of poisoning are growing rapidly, the victim can die at any moment.

If the poisoned person is conscious, then before the arrival of doctors, he needs to give a drink of warm water in large quantities, and then cause vomiting.In the case of unconsciousness, the victim should be laid on his side, cleaned of the mouth of the vomit, take the tongue out and fix it to prevent the tongue from falling and the patient's death from suffocation.

Note: if it is known that a person has been poisoned with methyl alcohol, then you can give him vodka or cognac.Ethyl alcohol partially neutralizes the methyl alcohol, which will ease the condition of the patient .

Alcohol poisoning is a frequent occurrence.Unfortunately, recently cases of poisoning by surrogates not only among antisocials, but also quite respectable citizens have become frequent.It's all about the huge amount of fake alcohol that gets into the outlets.Doctors strongly recommend not to buy cheap alcohol, use only proven shops.Well, and lovers of a lot and cheap to drink it is worth recalling that poisoning surrogates of alcohol in almost every case lead to either disability or death.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical reviewer, therapeutist of the highest qualification category