Retrospective study of factors associated with mortality in patients admitted to the emergency service with alcohol poisoning

We aimed to evaluate the epidemiological data, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment protocols, and prognosis of patients admitted to the emergency department with alcohol poisoning and to explain the relationship of these factors with mortality. This study retrospectively analyzed data from 545 patients who presented to the Pamukkale University Emergency Department with alcohol poisoning between 2013 and 2024, comparing factors associated with alcohol poisoning and the clinical characteristics of ethanol and methanol poisoning. The patients' demographic characteristics (age, gender, education level, occupation, etc.), alcohol consumption history (amount, frequency, and type of alcohol consumed), clinical findings at the time of admission (vital signs, consciousness level, neurological examination findings, etc.), laboratory results (blood ethanol/methanol levels, blood gas values, glucose, urea, creatinine, electrolytes, liver and kidney function tests, etc.), and applied treatment methods (hemodialysis, mechanical ventilation, fomepizole, ethanol, etc.) were examined, and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was used. A significant finding of our study was that the vast majority (87.9%) of alcohol poisoning cases were seen in male patients. Additionally, ethanol poisoning was found to be much more common (98.7%) than methanol poisoning. Our study demonstrated differences in some important laboratory parameters between ethanol and methanol poisoning. Platelet values were significantly higher, while glucose and creatinine values were significantly lower in patients with methanol poisoning (p<0,05). All patients with methanol poisoning presented to the emergency department without pathological findings on brain CT scans. The overall mortality rate was found to be 1.1%. The need for hemodialysis and mechanical ventilation was significantly associated with mortality (p<0,05). In conclusion, this study provides important in formation about the epidemiology of alcohol poisoning, the different clinical and laboratory characteristics of ethanol and methanol poisoning, and factors associated with mortality. Our findings emphasize the importance of Standard protocols and early supportive treatment in the management of alcohol poisoning cases in emergency departments. Keywords: Alcohol poisoning, Ethanol, Methanol, Mortality, Emergency department