sodium-bicarbonate and Blindness

More than 6 per cent of poisonings involve alcohols and glycols, reflecting their availability in a wide range of household products, including aftershave, brake fluid, gas line antifreeze, model airplane fuel, mouthwash, rubbing alcohol, and windshield washing solution. Diagnosis involves recognition of an osmolal gap and variable degrees and delays in development of an anion gap metabolic acidosis. Therapeutic modalities are similar for methanol and ethylene glycol, both cases requiring ethanol-blocking of alcohol dehydrogenase and hemodialysis. More often, treatment of ethanol and isopropanol poisoning is limited to supportive care.

Topics: 1-Propanol; Absorption; Acidosis; Adult; Alcoholic Intoxication; Bicarbonates; Blindness; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Differential; Ethylene Glycol; Ethylene Glycols; Gastric Lavage; Humans; Hypotension; Infant; Ipecac; Kidney Diseases; Kinetics; Liver; Methanol; Mortality; Osmolar Concentration; Renal Dialysis; Sodium; Sodium Bicarbonate

To report a case of reversible blindness associated with severe alcoholic ketoacidosis.. Observational case report.. A 44-year-old male presented with gradual bilateral blindness that developed within a 24-hour period. He suffered from ethanol-induced severe ketoacidosis and shock and was resuscitated with epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate.. The treatment of acidosis led to a rapid resolution of the patient's blindness.. It is important to understand the role of severe acidosis as the sole causative factor of reversible bilateral blindness.

Topics: Adult; Alcoholism; Blindness; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Drug Therapy, Combination; Epinephrine; Glucose; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Isotonic Solutions; Ketosis; Male; Ringer's Solution; Shock; Sodium Bicarbonate; Visual Acuity; Vitamin B Complex