Methyl Alcohol (Methanol, Wood Alcohol)

Methyl alcohol, also known as methanol or wood alcohol, is a toxic substance that can cause serious illness and even death if used incorrectly. It is widely used in industry, including the production of solvents, antifreeze and rocket fuel.

However, methyl alcohol can be dangerous to human health. When ingested, it forms toxic metabolites such as formaldehyde and formic alcohol, which can lead to serious health effects.

The selective psychotropic (narcotic), neurotoxic (optic nerve dystrophy), nephrotoxic effect of methyl alcohol can lead to various symptoms of intoxication. At first, intoxication is weakly expressed, but after 1-2 days symptoms appear, such as vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, pain in the calf muscles, blurred vision, flashing “flies” before the eyes, diplopia, blindness, mydriasis and weakened reaction of the pupils to light. Convulsions, stiff neck, and hypertonicity of the muscles of the extremities often develop. The skin and mucous membranes are dry, hyperemic with a bluish tint, the tongue is covered with a gray coating, the pupils are dilated with a weakened reaction to light.

Tachycardia with subsequent slowdown and rhythm disturbance, high blood pressure, and psychomotor agitation can also be among the symptoms of methyl alcohol intoxication.

The lethal dose of methyl alcohol is about 100 ml (without prior intake of ethanol). If symptoms of intoxication appear, you should immediately seek medical help.

Treatment of methyl alcohol intoxication includes gastric lavage through a tube, saline laxative, forced diuresis with blood alkalization, early hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis. Ethyl alcohol 30% can also be used orally, 50 ml every 3 hours (total dose up to 400 ml), or in cases of coma, a 5% solution of ethyl alcohol (1-2 g of pure alcohol per 1 kg of body weight) can be used intravenously. bodies per day). Prednisolone (25-30 mg IV), thiamine (5 ml 5% IV solution) and ascorbic acid (20 ml 5% IV solution) can be used to improve the patient's condition. Glucose (200 ml of 40% solution) and novocaine (20 ml of 2% solution) IV drip, ATP (2-3 ml of 1% solution) IM can also be used repeatedly in treatment.

If toxic shock develops, toxic shock treatment may be required. For this, treatment with lumbar puncture for cerebral edema and visual impairment, 1% solution of nicotinic acid 2 ml 3 times a day intramuscularly, pentoxifylline 2% solution 2 ml 3 times a day intravenous, hyperbaric oxygenation can be used.

In general, methyl alcohol (methanol, wood alcohol) is a dangerous substance that can cause serious illness and even death if used incorrectly. When working with this substance, all precautions must be taken, and in case of intoxication, immediately seek medical help.