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Methanol poisoning has become a public health problem, although it is an infrequent emergency, its morbidity, mortality and complications are high, in spite of the treatment provided. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with methanol poisoning in two public hospitals are described.
This is a retrospective case series, 41 medical records of patients admitted to emergency, with a diagnosis of methanol intoxication, in the period 2018-2022, in two public hospitals in Lima-Peru: Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza and Hospital Nacional Hipólito Unanue.
Of the 41 patients, 35 were male, with a mean age of 44.4 years. All patients presented neurological symptoms and severe metabolic acidosis with elevated anion gap anion. Nearly 50% were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 56.1% required hemodialysis, 29.9% percent died in the first 48 hours. Of the survivors, 56.1% presented sequelae: 21 patients with toxic optic neuropathy and 2 patients with motor sequelae due to hemorrhagic stroke.
Lower pH (6.7 vs 7.1, p<0.001) and bicarbonate (3 mmol/L vs 4.9 mmol/L, p= 0.004), as well as higher lactate (9.6 mmol/L vs 2.3 mmol/L, p<0.001) and sodium (142.5 mmol/L vs 138 mmol/L, p=0.036) were evidenced in the deceased group compared to the living.
Methanol poisoning continues to be a condition that leaves sequelae and can lead to death. Its main manifestation is severe metabolic acidosis, high anion gap anion, associated with respiratory and neurological symptoms.