Methyl alcohol intoxication: symptoms, treatment, consequences. Signs and help with methanol poisoning What to do if you drank methyl alcohol

Alcohol abuse can lead to serious complications, which prevents alcohol antidote. Special drugs help to cope with intoxication, eliminate the consequences of a stormy feast in a short time. Their action is based on the removal of alcohol decay products, accelerating their breakdown in the intestine. To get the desired effect, you need to choose the right tool based on the recommendations of a specialist.

What is an antidote

There is a whole group of drugs whose action is aimed at neutralizing various poisons, toxins of natural and synthetic origin. These are special antidotes designed to detoxify the human body. Scientists have managed to create effective means that save people from mortal danger and serious conditions.

With all the variety of medicines, a narrow-acting antidote for alcohol has not yet been developed. This is due to the wide variety of spirits used for the preparation of strong drinks: ethyl, cognac, wine. Unscrupulous manufacturers mix methanol derivatives, which reduce the cost of vodka, but can lead to poisoning.

There is a certain classification of antidotes, which is based on the principle of acting on receptors:

  • adsorbent (remove toxins in a natural way, absorbing them inside themselves);
  • resorptive (destroy the chemical chains of toxin molecules);
  • competitive (turn dangerous substances into safe ones after complex reactions);
  • antagonists (neutralize only the consequences of taking alcohol or organic substances);
  • immunological (unique vaccines to block insect venom, deadly viruses).

The cure for alcohol poisoning in each case is selected individually. It depends on the level of intoxication, experience of use, age and other health characteristics. In severe intoxication, it is necessary to combine several means of a different principle of action, which begin to complement each other. They can be strengthened by taking vitamins and antispasmodics, the right diet.

The main antidotes for alcohol poisoning

Using an alcoholic antidote can significantly reduce the time it takes for the body to recover from a hangover. After use, nausea disappears, dizziness and pain disappear, a healthy appetite and working capacity return. The main tasks of such drugs:

  • weakening the effects of toxins on tissue cells;
  • restoring the balance of mineral compounds;
  • reduction of liquid losses.

Therefore, an antidote for alcohol poisoning can be used not only for severe intoxication. It is recommended to use it after each event with alcohol in order to quickly remove the remaining ethanol from the tissues. They become an important part of therapy when removing a patient from a state of prolonged binge, helping to reduce cravings for vodka.


Alcohol poisoning is common. The main reason lies in the inability to comply with the norm, the unwillingness to stop the holiday in a timely manner. When the alcohol molecule is broken down, dangerous toxins are released that settle in the liver, intestines, and kidneys. With blood, they enter the brain, disrupt the functioning of neurons, the nervous system, and block the transmission of impulses to other organs.

For each person, the lethal dose of alcohol is individual and depends on the characteristics of the organism, its endurance, and the state of the liver. With an allergy to acetaldehyde, a serious condition occurs after drinking 100-200 grams, it occurs either with wine. Intoxication occurs faster in people with low weight, adolescents and the elderly. Therefore, it is useful to know how to use an antidote for alcohol poisoning in order to help the victim in a timely manner.

The most difficult situations are diagnosed with accidental or deliberate intake of methanol. Liquid with high toxicity is intended for the production of chemical solutions, paints, solvents. Its taste and color coincides with ethyl alcohol, so without special tests and analyzes it is difficult to distinguish a dangerous fake. When using counterfeit alcohol, poisoning of varying degrees is almost inevitable.

Antidote for ethyl alcohol poisoning

With intolerance to ethanol, a hangover becomes especially painful, symptoms of alcohol poisoning occur: weakness, headache, vomiting, upset stool. The patient feels weak, there is a tremor of the limbs. An effective antidote should be taken as early as possible to stop the manifestations of:

With an easy stage, it is recommended to use. This is a universal antidote for ethyl alcohol on charcoal, protecting the stomach and intestines when alcohol is ingested. More modern analogues recommended by doctors: Enterosgel, Smecta, Algisorb.

Antidotes for methanol

Poisoning is severe, the symptoms are aggravated by tachycardia, arrhythmia, loss of consciousness, jumps in blood pressure. The decay products of this substance affect the liver, lead to kidney dysfunction. Often a lethal outcome is recorded, irreversible changes in the brain. To avoid such complications, you should take methanol antidote in the first hours:

  • Ethanol. It is considered the most accessible chemical composition to eliminate the severity of intoxication. When it enters the blood, it neutralizes the decay products of methyl, splits it into safe compounds.
  • Metiprazol. It is introduced to stop the spread of toxins, helps reduce the burden on the liver and kidneys, and normalizes the production of digestive enzymes. It is combined with folic acid and vitamins.

Any drug for alcohol helps to alleviate the condition of the victim, if taken immediately after consuming a dangerous substance. It is imperative to seek medical help: some lesions of the internal organs develop within a few days.

Important! In case of methanol damage, it is necessary to carefully select antidotes: with simultaneous use, side effects on the heart may increase, rhythm disturbance, loss of consciousness occurs.

Treatment with antidotes for poisoning

In case of alcohol poisoning, it is necessary to quickly rinse the stomach to remove the remnants of toxic substances. If there has been contact with methanol vapor, the victim is taken out of the room, helped to unbutton his clothes and catch his breath. Antidote of methyl alcohol is given in small portions, trying not to provoke vomiting. In parallel, they offer lightly salted water, mineral water without gas, and blueberry water.

At home, an antidote for ethyl alcohol poisoning is offered after emptying the stomach. Treatment should begin with sorbents or activated charcoal. Polyphepan, Laktofiltrum are recommended as a cleansing preparation. It is necessary to drink a liquid that replenishes the balance of minerals and vitamins: Regidron, itraglucosalan.

Within a few days it is necessary to take drugs to improve the functioning of the brain, normalizing blood circulation in the affected areas: B vitamins, Piracetam, Biotredin. To restore the liver and pancreas, a fasting diet without fats, fried foods is used. Further rehabilitation is selected individually, may include long-term use of drugs for the treatment of alcoholism.

Methyl alcohol poisoning is not as rare as we would like, and pose a great threat to human life. If we compare methyl and ethyl alcohol, then for poisoning, you first need to drink up to 50 ml of this substance, ethyl alcohol poisoning is possible if a person drinks about 300 ml at a time. When consuming methyl alcohol, the work of all important organs is completely disrupted, especially the nervous, vascular and excretory systems suffer. To prevent death, you need to know which antidote to use for methyl alcohol poisoning. Sometimes, unknowingly, precious minutes are lost, but the antidote to methanol can be found in every home.

Difference between ethyl and methyl alcohol

Methanol is considered a substitute for ethyl alcohol. This substance is a substitute for alcohol, it is sometimes used by some people, instead of quality alcohol. Doctors call this substance a false surrogate, there is no ethanol in the composition of the liquid, but it also has an intoxicating effect.

Ethyl alcohol is used to treat the skin, and in special cases it is also taken internally. Methyl alcohol is a technical liquid that is added to solvents and various household chemicals. Such a liquid is unsuitable for drinking and treating wounds.

Ethyl and methyl alcohols are identical in taste and smell. In methanol, the aroma is slightly less pronounced, but only a specialist with extensive experience can notice this. Most often, the difference is determined exclusively by experience.

  1. Ethanol boils at a higher temperature than methanol.
  2. If you set fire to alcohols, then you can observe that ethanol burns with a bluish flame, and methanol with green.
  3. The most obvious is the test with ordinary copper wire. A piece of wire is heated over a fire and lowered alternately into a liquid. When hot metal interacts with methanol, a sharp and unpleasant odor arises; when interacting with ethanol, a slight smell of fermented apples hovers in the air.

A person who drank methanol would certainly not conduct such experiments. But such information must be known in order to prevent accidents.

It is unrealistic to distinguish between ethyl and methyl alcohol solely in appearance!

Mechanism of action of methanol

Methyl alcohol has a detrimental effect on all cells in the body. Once in the digestive tract, it is almost instantly absorbed by the gastric mucosa and converted into formaldehyde, as well as formic acid. These two substances are very toxic and pose a danger to humans even in small doses.

A larger volume of these substances is excreted from the body by the kidneys, so the organs of the excretory system are affected in the first place. The functions of the nervous and cardiovascular systems are completely disrupted, malfunctions in the digestive tract begin.

If a person has taken too much methyl alcohol, then death occurs very quickly.

Signs of intoxication

Already a few minutes after the consumption of methyl alcohol, the following symptoms of intoxication are observed:

  • nausea, severe vomiting and cutting pains in the abdomen;
  • headache, blurred vision, loss of consciousness;
  • increased irritability, which borders on aggressiveness;
  • increased secretion of saliva, in the victim it drains from the mouth;
  • cardiac dysfunction, unstable blood pressure and shortness of breath.

A few hours after drinking methanol, other signs of poisoning appear:

  • if methanol was consumed in a small dose, then vision worsens and severe pain in the joints appears;
  • the patient is unconscious;
  • the skin becomes slightly moist and cold to the touch, the eyeballs make uncontrolled movements;
  • voluntary urination occurs.

A deep coma develops, the skin becomes a specific marble shade. The pupils of the victim are dilated, he does not respond to pain, breathing is disturbed, as is the work of the heart.

Help

First aid for methanol poisoning is to normalize the work of all organs and systems of the body. It is impossible to perform all the necessary medical manipulations at home, so the victim must be immediately hospitalized.

As a first aid, it is not advisable to give adsorbents, methanol is very quickly absorbed into the blood and drugs of this group will not give an effect. You can slow down the absorption of methyl alcohol with any fatty foods. The patient is given butter, cheese or full-fat milk.

Before the arrival of doctors, the patient can wash the stomach. To do this, give a lot of water to drink, and then cause vomiting. Salt solution can be used instead of water.

The antidote to methyl alcohol is ethyl alcohol. As a first aid, the victim can be given a little vodka or medical alcohol diluted with water to drink.

Arriving doctor, the patient is injected with an antidote for methyl alcohol. These can be such substances:

  • 30% solution of ethyl alcohol in water. It is given to drink or administered intravenously if the person is unconscious.
  • Folic acid.
  • 4-methylpyrazole in solution for intravenous administration.

Folic acid is given in a dosage that is slightly higher than therapeutic.

Intravenous administration of an ethanol solution can only be done by a doctor. The introduction must be very slow.

Treatment protocol

After first aid is provided and an antidote to methyl alcohol is introduced, the victim is hospitalized in the toxicology department, where assistance is provided according to the following protocol:

  1. The person is comfortably laid and warmly covered. When methanol is poisoned, the functions of the heart are disturbed, so the blood pressure is unstable and the patient freezes.
  2. The intestines are washed with saline, a saline laxative is injected into the patient through a special probe.
  3. Various vitamins are introduced, as well as nicotinic acid.
  4. The patient is prescribed Riboxin and Prednisolone.
  5. Symptomatic treatment is prescribed, aimed at stabilizing the work of the heart, kidneys, liver and nervous system.

In the event that the victim has convulsions, Piracetam or similar drugs of this drug group are added to the treatment.

After poisoning with methyl alcohol, the patient should be under the supervision of health workers for a long time, since some complications appear only after a while.

What could be the consequences

  • Dangerous complications are considered heart and respiratory failure.
  • Visual impairment of varying severity.
  • Accidental consumption of even a small amount of methanol leads to disability or death. The result will depend on the state of health of the person and how quickly he was given first aid. Do not forget that the antidote to methanol is ethyl alcohol. Although there are several other substances that can be used as an antidote by doctors, one of them is folic acid.

    Methyl alcohol (wood alcohol, methanol) is a monohydric simplest representative of the homologous series of alcohols. It is widely used as a stain remover, antifreeze and solvent.

    Source: depositphotos.com

    Ingestion of methanol is extremely dangerous, since when it is oxidized in the human body, toxic substances are formed that cause serious poisoning, often with irreversible consequences.

    Methyl alcohol poisoning usually occurs when it or liquids containing it are accidentally ingested in order to achieve a state of intoxication, when it is mistaken for ethyl alcohol. Much less often, methyl alcohol poisoning occurs during suicidal attempts.

    Once inside, methyl alcohol from the stomach and small intestine quickly penetrates into the blood. Metabolism occurs in the liver with the participation of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. In this case, formic acid and formaldehyde are formed - chemical compounds with high biological toxicity. About 15% of methanol metabolites are excreted unchanged from the human body through the lungs, and the rest through the kidneys, which causes their damage.

    Methyl alcohol and its decay products also affect the cardiovascular and nervous systems and have a pronounced cumulative effect. When ingested, methyl alcohol causes a sharp inhibition of the functions of the central nervous system, damage to the retina, degenerative processes in the fibers of the optic nerve, and the development of severe metabolic acidosis.

    Even a relatively small dose of methyl alcohol is toxic to humans: only 5-10 ml of this substance, ingested, can lead to loss of visual function, and 30 ml can cause death.

    Symptoms of poisoning

    Signs of methyl alcohol poisoning:

    • abdominal pain;
    • nausea and vomiting;
    • dizziness, headache;
    • the appearance of a veil or flies before the eyes;
    • increased salivation;
    • tachycardia;
    • an increase in blood pressure, quickly followed by a sharp drop;
    • dyspnea;
    • aggressiveness, replaced by a state of indifference, stunning.

    In the absence of medical care, signs of intoxication increase, verbal contact with the victim is lost, his skin becomes wet and cold to the touch. There is involuntary urination, floating movements of the eyeballs appear, an alcoholic coma develops.

    Severe coma is characterized by the appearance of marbling of the skin, which is associated with a violation of microcirculation processes and blood stasis in the capillaries, as well as hypoxia caused by respiratory distress. The pupils are dilated, the eyelids are edematous, marked tachycardia is noted, breathing becomes more and more weakened, pain sensitivity is lost. Against the background of an increase in respiratory and cardiovascular insufficiency, a fatal outcome can occur.

    Source: depositphotos.com

    First aid for methyl alcohol poisoning

    As soon as the fact of methyl alcohol poisoning is established, an ambulance should be called and only then proceed to the provision of first aid.

    If less than two hours have passed since the ingestion of methyl alcohol, then first aid should begin with gastric lavage. The victim is given to drink several glasses of warm water or a 2% solution of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), after which they induce vomiting by irritating the root of the tongue.

    Reception of sorbents is not shown. This is due to the fact that methanol is almost instantly absorbed into the bloodstream.

    The specific antidote for methyl alcohol is ethyl alcohol. Therefore, after washing the stomach, the victim can be given 50-60 ml of good vodka. Then he should be laid on his side in bed (to avoid aspiration by vomit or a sunken tongue) and covered with a warm blanket, making sure that fresh air is provided. Until the arrival of the ambulance, the patient must not be left unattended.

    When is medical attention needed?

    In case of poisoning with methyl alcohol in all cases, it is necessary to seek medical help as soon as possible.

    Treatment of patients with methyl alcohol poisoning is carried out in the toxicology department, and in severe cases - in the intensive care unit.

    Since the antidote of methyl alcohol is ethyl alcohol, patients are given 40-100 ml of vodka to take orally every three hours. When the patient is unconscious, 5% ethyl alcohol is administered intravenously.

    To accelerate the excretion of methanol metabolic products from the body, forced diuresis with alkalization of the blood plasma is indicated.

    In order to accelerate and improve metabolic processes, vitamin therapy with the inclusion of folic acid is prescribed.

    If seizures occur, Sibazon, Sodium hydroxybutyrate is administered.

    If acute renal failure develops, then hemodialysis sessions may be required.

    The increase in the severity of respiratory failure is the basis for transferring the patient to mechanical ventilation.

    Possible consequences

    With mild poisoning with methyl alcohol, the victim's condition stabilizes for 2-3 days, but it is rarely possible to avoid the development of complications, the most common of which are:

    • loss of visual function up to complete blindness;
    • acute renal failure, which can become chronic.

    In severe poisoning, death often occurs.

    Prevention

    To prevent methyl alcohol poisoning, store this substance and liquids containing it in a locked cabinet. The packaging should be clearly labeled indicating that the liquid is poisonous.

    In industries using methyl alcohol, to prevent poisoning, special substances are usually added to it, causing either its coloring or giving it a sharp unpleasant odor.

    Methyl alcohol in toxic concentrations can be found in alcohol surrogates, as well as in counterfeit alcoholic beverages produced in a handicraft way. Therefore, to prevent methanol poisoning, you should buy alcoholic beverages only at official outlets, whose activities are licensed.

    Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

    The variety of high-quality alcoholic beverages on the modern market does not exclude the purchase of fictitious alcoholic products containing methyl alcohol.

    Methanol, being an extremely dangerous substance, provokes serious health problems, loss of vision and death. Methyl alcohol intoxication is considered the most detrimental and common.

    The severe consequences of using methanol require knowledge of the correct provision of first aid to save the victim.

    The similarity of methyl alcohol to the ethyl alcohol used to create high-quality alcoholic beverages leads to illiterate use of the substance as an alternative to more expensive certified alcohol.

    Methyl alcohol is used exclusively in the chemical and paint industries due to its excessive toxicity.

    For cheaper production, unscrupulous producers replace ethanol with methanol, selling surrogate alcohol and not caring about the possible consequences.

    Intoxication is caused by a specific reaction of the body to the introduction of a reagent. The products of its decay lead to massive damage to internal organs and the central nervous system - impaired vision, breathing. After taking 25-100 ml, a fatal outcome often occurs.

    Distinctive features of methyl and ethyl alcohols

    The main difference between ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol is the method of use .


    Ethanol is acceptable for indoor and outdoor use, methanol is an industrial substance used purely for the chemical industry - adding to solvents, household chemicals and is unsuitable for oral administration.

    External properties, aroma, taste and color of these alcohols are absolutely similar..

    The difference is determined exclusively by experimental methods:

    1. Boiling point difference: for methyl alcohol 64̊С, for ethyl alcohol - 78̊С.
    2. The green color of the fire when burned with methanol, blue - with ethanol.
    3. Immersion of heated copper wire in methanol produces a specific, pungent odor. Ethanol will smell like ripe apples.

    The effect of methanol upon ingestion

    After taking methyl alcohol from the small intestine and stomach, it spreads through the blood through the internal organs.

    Once in the stomach, it undergoes metabolism with the formation of formaldehyde and formic acid. The main route of excretion of decay products is the kidneys, which leads to a rapid breakdown of the urinary system.

    Once in the body, methyl alcohol inhibits the functionality of the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, liver, damages the retina and optic nerve, contributes to the progression of acidosis, and affects the alveoli of the lungs.

    An insignificant dosage of the taken substance is considered toxic - only 5 ml.

    Signs and symptoms of methyl alcohol poisoning

    The use of small doses of the substance leads to the manifestation of intestinal symptoms of toxicosis:

    • vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain;
    • headaches, dizziness, flies before the eyes;
    • aggression, increased salivation, increased heart rate, decreased pressure, shortness of breath;
    • limb pain;
    • temperature drop.

    The next day, the symptoms worsen:

    • severe visual impairment;
    • stop verbal contact
    • disturbance of consciousness;
    • constant vomiting, frequent urge to profuse spontaneous urination;
    • loss of sensitivity of the skin;
    • acidosis develops.

    Failure to help leads to death.

    Providing first aid

    To prevent a fatal outcome, competent assistance to the victim is required.

    The main algorithm of actions:

    1. Immediate call for an ambulance.
    2. Preparation and use by the patient of a weak soda solution, followed by stimulation of the gag reflex to maximize the removal of unabsorbed alcohol and its metabolites from the body. It is carried out several times.
    3. The use of a laxative to stimulate peristalsis and increase the excretion of methanol.
    4. These measures should be carried out in the presence of consciousness in the victim. In case of loss of consciousness, the victim is laid on his stomach, turning his head to the side to prevent the penetration of vomit into the respiratory tract, and wait for the arrival of an ambulance.

    Treatment of intoxications in stationary conditions

    The basis for providing assistance in a hospital setting is the removal of a poisonous substance from the gastrointestinal tract and lungs and the removal of the main symptoms.

    For these purposes, use:

    • gastric lavage with stimulation of the gag reflex;
    • laxative pharmaceuticals and enemas with boiled water;
    • a specific antidote is introduced - ethyl alcohol, which reduces the formation of decay products;
    • injections of sodium bicarbonate are administered, which normalize the condition and prevent "acidification" of the blood;
    • in severe cases, they prevent the development of edema of the brain and other organs by taking diuretics, followed by correction of electrolyte imbalance with multivitamin complexes;
    • to eliminate toxins, hemodialysis is performed;
    • convulsive manifestations are removed with anticonvulsant drugs - Sibazon and Sodium oxybutyrate;
    • visual impairment requires the use of Atropine or Prednisolone (supraorbital);
    • insufficiency of the respiratory system is eliminated by artificial ventilation of the lungs.

    The complexity of therapy can prevent the development of more serious complications.

    Consequences of methyl alcohol poisoning

    In addition to severe visual impairment, there are irreversible consequences of methyl alcohol intoxication:

    • development of respiratory and cardiovascular insufficiency;
    • "prolonged squeezing syndrome", manifested by the destruction of muscles with clogging of the vessels of the kidneys, and the pathology of their functioning.

    The severity of the possible consequences directly depends on the amount of the substance drunk and the timeliness of the provision of qualified assistance to the victim.

    The main method of preventing methanol poisoning is the purchase of alcoholic beverages in specialized stores with the appropriate licenses.

    Acute methyl alcohol poisoning is one of the most dangerous and frequent poisonings. When compared with ethyl alcohol, the lethal concentration of methanol in the blood is only 100 ml of a pure substance (for ethyl alcohol this figure is three times higher), and in some cases a lower concentration is required.

    Excessive intake of methyl alcohol in the body has a negative effect not only on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, but primarily on the excretory system. Therefore, it is extremely important to act immediately in order to correctly provide first aid in case of this type of poisoning. The situation is complicated by the fact that it is easy to confuse poisoning with methanol and ethyl, but this must be done in order to take action.

    How to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol?

    Methanol (methyl alcohol) refers to ethanol surrogates, which are inferior alcohol substitutes often used as alcoholic beverages. Methanol is the so-called false surrogate, which does not contain ethanol in its normal state, but also has a narcotic effect on the drunk person.

    How to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol? Ethyl alcohol refers to medical and food substances, that is, it is used to treat the skin, in some cases - inside. Methanol, on the contrary, is only industrial alcohol, it is added to household chemicals and solvents, that is, this substance is not suitable for drinking.

    It is impossible to distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl alcohol in appearance! In smell, color and taste - they are identical. Methanol has a slightly fainter odor, but only a professional can determine this. The difference can only be established empirically.

    1. If you boil two liquids, and then measure their boiling point, you can see that methyl boils at a lower - 64 ° C (ethanol's boiling point is 78 ° C).
    2. With conventional ignition, the color of the flame is blue for ethanol, and green for methanol.
    3. The most indicative is the test with copper wire. It must be heated on fire and immersed in the liquid under study. Methanol will have an unpleasant pungent odor. Ethanol will emit a faint aroma of rotten apples.

    Naturally, such experiments are rarely carried out by those who decide to drink this substance.

    How does methyl alcohol work?

    Poisoning manifests itself not only immediately after the use of a prohibited substance, it also has a further detrimental effect on the body.

    Almost instantly absorbed in the stomach, methanol turns into formaldehyde and formic acid, which in small concentrations have a toxic effect on all organ systems, blocking the work of cells and destroying them.

    Since almost 90% of the total volume of the substance is excreted by the kidneys, the urinary system is affected instantly, which explains the danger of drinking alcohol even in small quantities.

    There are problems with the gastrointestinal tract, the work of the nervous system is disturbed, and with a large amount of the substance that has entered inside, death quickly occurs.

    Symptoms of methyl alcohol poisoning

    There are the following early signs of methanol poisoning:

    • dizziness and headache, impaired consciousness, flies before the eyes;
    • abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting;
    • aggressiveness, which is replaced by stunning, palpitations, excessive salivation (hypersalivation), shortness of breath, increase and then decrease in pressure.

    These are also the signs that acute methanol poisoning has. Late symptoms are much more severe:

    1. On the second or third day, if methanol is drunk in a small dose, pain appears in the head, in the legs, vision is impaired, deterioration is possible up to the development of blindness.
    2. Loss of consciousness.
    3. A superficial alcoholic coma is characterized by hiccups, cessation of verbal contact, the skin becomes wet and cold, retching, voluntary urination, and the appearance of floating movements of the eyeballs.
    4. In the case of the development of a deep coma, the pupils are dilated, the eyelids become swollen, the skin becomes marbled, pain sensitivity disappears, breathing is disturbed, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) and convulsions appear.
    5. In severe cases, death can occur.

    Emergency care for methanol poisoning

    First aid for methanol poisoning is to normalize the work of breathing, kidneys and heart. It is impossible to carry out these medical manipulations at home, therefore, if poisoning with methanol vapor is suspected, the victim should be immediately taken to the nearest medical facility.

    In the first hours of the action of methanol at the prehospital stage, it is recommended not to give activated charcoal, since it will not have the desired effect, since the substance is absorbed very quickly. The situation is more favorable if, together with the toxic substance, a person consumed fatty foods. Then the absorption slows down.

    How to wash the stomach if a person has signs of methyl alcohol poisoning? Even before the arrival of specialized medical care, you can wash the stomach with a tubeless method. For this, the victim is given 500–700 milliliters of warm water (and no other liquid), if the affected child is an isotonic solution of sodium chloride. After that, they induce vomiting with a spatula or spoon, irritating the root of the tongue. This is the kind of help that can be provided to the victim at home.

    • 4-methylpyrazole intravenously;
    • folic acid inside;
    • 30% ethanol, which can be taken intravenously or orally under medical supervision.

    Treatment of methyl alcohol poisoning

    Follow-up therapy takes place in the toxicology or intensive care unit of the hospital. For this use:

    • through the probe - saline laxative, warm the body;
    • symptomatic substances are used: Reopoliglyukin, sodium bicarbonate, glucose are prescribed intravenously;
    • enter vitamins B, ATP, Riboxin, vitamin E subcutaneously, Prednisolone, nicotinic acid;
    • in case of seizures in the victim during methanol poisoning, Piracetam and Sodium hydroxybutyrate with Unithiol are prescribed for treatment.

    Consequences of methanol poisoning

    The use of methyl and ethyl alcohol in large quantities can have long-term consequences. Among them are:

    1. Syndrome of long squeezing. For the occurrence of this symptom, the victim must lie immobilized in a coma for at least 4 hours. There is a destruction of muscle tissue, which clogs the vessels of the kidneys and leads to disruption of their work.
    2. Another negative consequence of human poisoning with methyl alcohol is respiratory and cardiovascular failure due to the effect of alcohol on the nervous system and coma.
    3. Visual impairment of varying degrees.

    Even a small amount of methanol accidentally consumed can lead to a deterioration in the functioning of all body systems. For the manifestation of such a deterioration, it is not at all necessary to drink two or three glasses of liquid, for some, only 30 milliliters of the substance may be enough. The lethal dose is not more than 100 ml. No need to experiment on your own body, because even surviving people most often become disabled.

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