ALCOHOL-INTOXICATION IN HOSPITALIZED YOUNG TEENAGERS

The scientific literature concerning alcohol intoxication is enormous. However, less is known of alcohol-induced disturbances in children an d adolescents and most of those reports concern cases of hypoglycemia in children under five years of age. We studied the clinical status an d chemistry, especially acid-base balance, in 36 young teenagers treat ed at hospital for alcohol intoxication. On physical examination 6 pat ients were somnolent, 18 were comatose and 12 were in deep coma. The i mpairment of consciousness was directly proportional to the blood etha nol concentration. Acidosis was a central finding, and it was caused b y a combination of respiratory and metabolic factors (a high blood PCO 2 and a low base excess; r = 0.97, p < 0.00 1); the finding of respira tory acidosis dominated. Base excess correlated negatively with beta-h ydroxybutyrate and lactate, as expected. All the metabolic products me asured-acetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate and lactate-were significantly el evated compared with the control patients. No hypoglycemia was found. Prior treatment with intravenous glucose decreased vomiting and normal ized the serum lactate concentration and PO2. Hypokalemia was the most common abnormality in serum electrolytes. In four patients the rate o f fall of blood ethanol concentration was 2.8-3.3 mmol/h (0.13-0.15 g/ l-1 h-1) and the mean acetate concentration was 0.8 mmol/l (SE 0.3). B iochemical disturbances in young teenage alcohol intoxicants resemble those previously found in adults. The severe toxicity by ethanol, mani festing in coma, occurs in lower blood alcohol concentrations in child ren than in adults.