Surrogate alcohol - the first signs of poisoning, emergency care, treatment and consequences. Poisoning by alcohol substitutes

About 10-12 million Russians are consumers of surrogate alcohol. This figure is confirmed by the Center for Research of the Federal and Regional Alcohol Market.

Surrogate alcohol

Surrogate alcohol - various liquids used instead of alcoholic beverages, but not intended for ingestion.

Any surrogate contains a large number of chemicals that can harm the human body.

Which liquids are surrogate and can be used for other purposes:

• Medicines and pharmacy tinctures (for example, the infamous Hawthorn tincture);
• Cosmetics (lotions, colognes);
• Technical fluids (ethyl alcohol for technical purposes);
• Household chemicals and more.

As they say, in Russia they drink everything that burns. If a person knows that the consumption of surrogate products in most cases leads to serious health consequences, why does this happen.

At-risk groups. Who uses a surrogate?

The low cost of a surrogate, no more than 50 rubles per bottle, also affects the descriptive characteristics of those who drink this alcohol.

Most often, a surrogate is used by people who do not have a fixed place of residence (homeless people) or people with a low level of income (the unemployed, on the verge of poverty, who have been abusing alcohol for a long time).

It is unlikely that a surrogate will be used by people with an average income, but this is also possible.

A low material level does not mean that a person is not aware of the consequences of using surrogate products. It's just that people in a difficult situation do not have the opportunity to buy a better product and buy what they have enough money for.

The task of society is to convey information about the dangers and dangers of using such products. One way to talk in plain language about the consequences.

The reaction of the body to the surrogate

There are several forms of alcohol intoxication: mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe. When using surrogate alcohol, even a mild form of intoxication can lead to irreversible consequences.

That is why, at the first sign of poisoning, it is necessary to call an ambulance.

What symptoms to look out for:

• severe, unbearable headache
• nausea and vomiting,
• dizziness, hallucinations, signs of delirium tremens
• dryness in the mouth and on the skin,
• abdominal pain, often sharp and throbbing
• bluish or icteric shade of the skin and mucous membranes,
• sudden blindness,
• cardiac arrhythmias, decreased blood pressure,
• respiratory failure, up to a complete cardiac arrest.

Symptoms may appear 10-30 minutes after consumption, either individually or several symptoms together.

What to do in case of poisoning with a surrogate?

The first and most important thing is to call an ambulance as soon as possible, explaining that poisoning with surrogate products has occurred. A person with this type of poisoning can only be helped by professional medical care. Self-detoxification can lead to sad consequences and even death.

While waiting for the team of doctors, it is recommended to do an immediate gastric lavage. At home, vomiting and drinking plenty of water will help. This method is recommended in the first hours after poisoning, and will not work if the victim is unconscious.

If an ambulance cannot reach you soon, try to take the victim to the nearest medical facility. In cases of poisoning by a surrogate, the bill can go on for hours and even minutes.

The introduction of the ban

In December 2016, a ban was introduced on the sale of non-food alcohol-containing products, which reduced the mortality rate from surrogate poisoning by 25%.

In April 2018, Rospotrebnadzor, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, extended the ban for another 180 days from April 20, 2018.

The number of violations in the field of illegal trade is also reduced. Rospotrebnadzor notes that according to the results of work for the reporting period, a violation of the ban on retail trade in alcohol-containing non-food products was detected at every 4 facilities, at the end of 2017 - at every 54 checks.

The ban was introduced as a result of mass poisoning in the Irkutsk region. Then, several dozen people died from the consequences of using the Hawthorn tincture, and more than a hundred were injured.

Article reading time: 2 minutes

Surrogate alcohol has long been a real disaster for our country. Doctors note the ever-increasing number of cases of severe poisoning with a surrogate. Especially in the extreme degree of alcohol addiction, when a person is not able to realize the consequences of his actions. Degradation leads to rash actions, including drinking various chemicals.

But poisoning by alcohol substitutes does not come only from one's own stupidity. Sometimes in stores you can meet "mass killers" hiding under completely harmless labels. People are poisoned and die due to the use of low-quality booze made in underground conditions.

Alcohol substitutes in most cases leads a person to death

What are alcoholic surrogates

Alcohol surrogates are various liquids that contain ethyl alcohol, but these substances do not apply to drinks that can be consumed orally. Once in the human body, surrogates lead to the development of severe intoxication with very sad consequences.

According to Rosstat statistics, in the period from January to October 2016, about 7,000 people died from the use of surrogate alcohol. Compared to the data of 2015, this figure increased by 1,500 cases.

By the way, the presence of ethyl alcohol is not a prerequisite for a particular liquid to be considered a surrogate. Substances that contain ethanol include the following compounds:

• stain;
• varnish;
• denatured alcohol;
• colognes;
• butyl alcohol;
• wood alcohols.

Surrogate substances are much more dangerous and toxic than ordinary alcohol. For example, wood spirits contain a large amount of methanol, denatured alcohol is full of aldehyde, and varnish is famous for its huge content of entire groups of toxic alcohols.

What are alcoholic surrogates

The composition of the stain includes a variety of chemical dyes. These compounds, once in the body, cause blue (cyanosis) of the mucous tissue and skin. The group of surrogates that do not contain ethanol includes the following substances:

• glue BF;
• methanol;
• dichloroethane;
• isopropanol;
• ethylene glycol.

Lethal doses

Surrogate alcohol is the most dangerous substance for a person. Even a small amount of toxic liquids, once inside the human body, can lead to death.. The doses required for the appearance of severe intoxication and death are different. They depend on the type of surrogate.

methanol

Methanol poisoning

Once in the body, methanol is broken down into formaldehyde and formic acid. Both compounds are extremely poisonous and have a high degree of toxicity. They directly affect the central nervous system, destroying communication neurons and causing irreparable damage to the nervous system. Lead to methanol poisoning:

1. For an acute degree of intoxication, accompanied by loss of vision and deep fainting, up to coma, 6-7 ml of the substance is sufficient.
2. 50 g of the compound lead to instant death.

ethylene glycol

From this compound, antifreeze is produced, which is necessary for motorists. If you drink a blue liquid in the amount of only 50 ml, a person will develop an acute poisoning, taking place against the background of convulsions, respiratory depression and severe impairment of consciousness.

Ethylene glycol, once in the body, is broken down into two types of acids, both of which are highly toxic. It:

1. Glycolic.
2. Sorrel.

For the arrival of death, it is enough to consume only half a glass of a substance containing ethylene glycol. This equates to 100 ml.

Varnish

Polish is a deadly cocktail of groups of various alcohols, aniline dyes, acetone, ethanol and a number of other technical impurities. Only 50 ml is enough for the development of powerful poisoning with irreversible damage to all internal systems and organs. And 150 ml of this substance lead the victim to instant death.

What does poisoning with surrogates lead to?

Acetone

Acetone is familiar to all fashionistas (it is part of some hair dyes and nail polish removers), as well as lovers of crafting something out of wood. But for the human body, it turns into a dangerous poison. Once inside the body, acetone provokes serious damage to the mucosa of the esophagus and stomach.

To get a strong degree of intoxication, you need to consume only 30 ml of liquid. An increase in the amount of acetone is fatal.

Isopropanol

Or isopropyl alcohol, which is an excellent solvent. Due to this, this substance has become widespread in various industrial sectors. He also became notorious in the role of a surrogate. When ingested in the body in a total volume of 0.5 ml per kg of weight, isopranol provokes the development of the following phenomena:

• a sharp drop in pressure;
• loss of consciousness and development of coma;
• irreversible disorders in the digestive tract.

A dose of 140-150 ml leads a person to death. To be more precise, it is enough for death that the concentration of the toxic substance was within 2 ml per kg of body weight.

Clay BF

In almost every home you can find this universal household assistant. The composition of the adhesive includes a mixture of chloroform, acetone and ethanol. The lethal dose depends on the concentration of these components in the ingredients of the adhesive (its composition depends on the brand of adhesive). But, as a rule, only about 50 ml of the product is enough to kill a person.

Alcohol poisoning is different from surrogate intoxication

Dichloroethane

This surrogate is perhaps the most dangerous for the body. Just 5 ml of this effective glue is enough to kill a person. The toxic compound affects all internal systems and organs without exception, provoking an immediate loss of consciousness and severe convulsions.

medical classification

The poisoning of the human body with the decay products of surrogate alcohol has code 10 according to ICD T51 (“toxic effect of alcohol”). It is worth recalling that surrogate alcohol also includes alcoholic beverages produced in clandestine workshops, without following the technology and adding to the composition of various poisonous families.

Poisoning with surrogate alcohol mixtures occupies a sad leading position in diagnosed alcohol intoxications. Moreover, about 95% of people die without waiting for the arrival of doctors.

How to identify surrogate alcohol

You should know that underground producers of burned surrogate alcohol often counterfeit drinks of expensive, branded brands. Indeed, in this case, fraudsters can earn more money with the lowest production costs.

Consequences of drinking surrogate alcohol

To recognize fake alcohol, which can become a deadly decoration of the festive table, you should pay attention to the following points:

1. Excise stamp.
2. Bottle label.
3. Drink cost.

To make it easier to understand the intricacies of the definition of surrogate alcohol, use the proposed table. So:

Why surrogates are so dangerous

The composition of surrogates includes a large concentration of highly toxic alcohols. The danger of death is increased if ethanol is included in the components of this liquid (when interacting with technical alcohols, this substance becomes extremely poisonous and deadly to humans).

The reasons for the increased danger to humans by taking surrogates are associated with the specifics of their impact on the human body.

Ordinary alcohol in the body is broken down to acetaldehyde, which is subsequently converted into water and acetic acid and excreted from the body. In the processes of cleansing the body of toxins, the human kidneys and liver are directly involved, while the hepatic organ is forced to spend almost all of its carbohydrate reserves.

According to statistics, the largest number of deaths are due to surrogate poisoning.

Technical alcohols, which are inherently more toxic, break down in the body much longer than ethanol. At the same time, it actively circulates through the bloodstream to all organs. Their withdrawal time can be 50-60 hours. During this time, the functioning of the internal organs is completely disrupted, which leads to death.

Symptoms of surrogate alcohol poisoning

Symptoms of surrogate intoxication are varied. It depends on the composition of the substance, additional components and the dose that the person managed to take.

Symptoms of surrogate poisoning

It has been noted that when using a liquid containing ethanol, the consequences of poisoning will be milder compared to surrogates containing ethylene glycol and methanol.

Initial symptoms

The very first signs of surrogate alcohol poisoning are expressed in the development of pronounced psychomotor agitation, increased salivation. The person also has a feeling of euphoria, sweating and redness of the skin. But soon other signs begin to join the initial symptoms:

• pupil dilation;
• dryness of the oral mucosa;
• attention disorder;
• lack of coordination;
• increased urination;
• blanching of the skin;
• incoherence of speech functions.

Methanol poisoning

If the “poisoner” is a liquid containing methanol, then the clinical symptoms of alcohol consumption and its surrogates are most pronounced and most pronounced. This compound is instantly absorbed into the bloodstream, penetrates the gastrointestinal tract and inflicts a devastating blow to the functioning of the kidneys, nerves and liver. Intoxication with a surrogate in a severe degree is given by the following signs:

• loss of consciousness;
• pupil dilation;
• convulsive state;
• nausea with profuse vomiting;
• feeling of light intoxication;
• changes in cardiac activity;
• dryness of mucous membranes and skin;
• a significant increase in temperature;
• hypotension (significant decrease in pressure;
• loss of visual function, up to the development of complete blindness.

After 2-3 days, the victim begins to have severe pain in the muscles and joints. The pain covers the whole body, the back and the peritoneal region are affected. The person falls into a coma with paralysis of the limbs.

Ethylene glycol intoxication

This toxic substance is instantly absorbed into the blood through the gastric mucosa. The main impact of the poison falls on the central nervous system, kidneys and liver. All signs of poisoning are rapidly growing. Only the first 10-2 hours the victim can feel relatively stable, feeling only intoxication. Then the following toxic signs are formed:

• convulsions;
• fainting;
• tachycardia;
• respiratory depression;
• severe migraine;
• heat;
• unquenchable, pronounced thirst;
• motor and nervous excitement;
• increased vomiting and excruciating nausea;
• diarrhea, passing with variable constipation;
• cyanosis (cyanosis) of the mucous tissue and skin.

After 4-5 days, the victim begins to fail the liver and kidneys. The skin turns yellow, there is severe itching. Urine acquires a dark brown color, soon urination stops completely. A person dies from general blood poisoning with surrogate decay products.

Ethylene glycol poisoning

What and how to help a person

At the first signs of poisoning with an alcohol surrogate, an ambulance should be called immediately. It is impossible to delay, because in this case even a minute inaction can cost the victim his life. Emergency care should be carried out only by the hands of physicians. The only thing to do while waiting for doctors is:

1. Loosen tight clothing (unfasten buttons, belt). The person needs to be able to breathe freely.
2. The victim must be laid on a hard surface and turn his head to one side. Otherwise, in case of vomiting, he may choke on vomit. By the way, it is better to collect the vomit in a jar, it may be required for further analysis.
3. The patient's legs should be raised so that they are above the level of the head.
4. If the victim has severe chills, wrap him in a warm blanket.
5. When the respiratory process stops, artificial respiration should be given.

What is the treatment

Therapy of intoxication with surrogate alcohol, in principle, is no different from the withdrawal of a person from an alcoholic coma and his further treatment. Doctors carry out the following resuscitation measures:

1. Washing and cleansing the stomach with a probe.
2. Introduction to the body of the affected sodium sulfate for complete cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Artificial lung ventilation (ALV).
4. Injection of an antidote, in this case, ethanol is used.
5. Taking a course of medications to restore lost functions and reflexes.

Vitamins, Prednisolone, Atropine and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) are introduced into the course of drug treatment. This drug effectively restores disturbed metabolism. This tool is a universal source of energy that helps to restore the body weakened by severe poisoning.

Russia is among the top ten countries in the world in terms of the number of people who abuse alcohol. A huge number of deaths occur from poisoning with alcohol substitutes, the use of which leads to serious intoxication of the body, in most cases ending in the death of a person. It is rarely possible to save people, because not everyone pays attention to the terrible symptoms of poisoning with burned vodka, the development of which quickly leads to death. Knowing how to help the victim will save him from death.

What is surrogate alcohol

Alcohol is drunk in order to change the emotional state to a more comfortable one. However, there are products approved by the state for ingestion that have been certified, and there are products that are not intended for drinking at all. Why do we need surrogate vodka and analogues? Such a “singed” product is cheaper than a certified one, it is easier to get it, and the effect of intoxication is almost the same. Poisoning by surrogates, according to the classification codes according to ICD 10, belongs to the groups of diseases T5.1.1 - T5.2.9. Surrogate alcohol includes:

• Chemical liquids containing ethyl alcohol as the main component - lotions, cosmetic and medicinal tinctures, methylated spirits, technical alcohols, insect stains.
• Deceptive or false substitutes for alcohol-containing drinks, in which there is no ethanol, but there is methanol, dichloroethane, ethylene glycol.

Ethanol surrogates

Poisoning from surrogate alcohol containing ethyl alcohol is very common, as alcoholics consider such liquids to be the safest to drink. However, all these substances are by no means intended for the human body; they contain a high concentration of potent chemicals, the impact of which destroys internal organs. These include: BF-based glue, glass cleaners, colognes, deodorants, mouth fresheners, and other household chemicals that contain ethyl alcohol.

False surrogates

Poisoning by alcohol surrogates, which do not contain ethyl alcohol, is considered the most severe and leads to almost instant death, since methyl alcohol, ethylene glycol are quickly absorbed by the body and decompose into separate, extremely toxic substances. At best, when using methyl alcohol, the alcoholic will get off with blindness. Ethylene glycol is part of the brake and defrosting fluid for cars, dichloroethane is a solvent for adhesive bases.

Toxic dose of alcohol

The WHO organization presents impressive and terrible figures - approximately 60% of men in Russia aged 15 to 60 die from intoxication with surrogates, which dramatically reduces the age of survival for men to retirement in the country to 59 years instead of 75, as, for example, in the UK. Ethanol is a toxic substance, and poisoning with alcohol and its surrogates depends on the individual reaction of the body. A lethal dose for any person is considered to be three bottles of cognac, drunk with an interval of less than 5 hours.

At the same time, doctors stipulate that for fakes, the lethal dose may not exceed one sip, depending on the concentration of toxins in the substance that the person drinks. Paradoxically, an immoderate snack can lead to death, because the body does not have time to cope with the incoming food that accumulates in the digestive tract, and alcohol is simply not absorbed at first, but then it enters the blood in huge quantities, which can lead to death.

The mechanism of action of poison on the body

Each toxic substance acts on the internal organs in its own way, however, since the poison passes through the digestive tract, all organs of the gastrointestinal tract are at risk, from the stomach to the kidneys. Unable to cope with incoming poisons, the gastric mucosa reacts with ulcerative formations. Approximately one third of methanol and ethylene glycol are excreted by the kidneys, which leads to acute organ failure, up to the absence of urination, the rest enters the blood, causing a serious blow to the cells of the central nervous system, up to cardiac arrest.

Signs of alcohol poisoning

It is not uncommon for people to buy a bottle of alcohol in a store, labeled and certified, which turns out to be “burnt”. It is difficult to notice poisoning by surrogates if alcohol is drunk in a cheerful company, especially when you consider that the first signs of the effect of alcohol are euphoria, emancipation, high spirits. And only a few hours after drinking alcohol with toxic impurities, frightening symptoms of a hangover may appear, indicating that poisoning by alcohol surrogates has occurred.

ethyl alcohol

The first feeling of euphoria and excitement when poisoned by surrogates containing ethanol is replaced by the following symptoms:

• cold sweat appears on the body;
• increased salivation begins;
• integuments sharply turn pale;
• pupils dilate;
• dizziness and impaired coordination of movements appear;
• a person begins to feel sick, there is abundant indomitable vomiting, diarrhea;
• possible loss of consciousness from severe weakness or severe pain in the stomach.

Methanol poisoning

To die, you need to drink only 50 ml of poison in false surrogates. Intoxication of the body develops gradually with the following signs:

• lack of euphoria and fun;
• the presence of nausea accompanied by vomiting, acidosis;
• visual impairment, black dots appear before the eyes, loss of vision is possible;
• pupils almost do not react to light;
• body temperature rises;
• a state of severe weakness, periodic loss of consciousness;
• heart failure syndrome, lowering of upper arterial pressure, tachycardia;
• muscle pain, cramps;
• gradual falling of the patient into a coma and clinical death.

Ethylene glycol poisoning

Ethylene glycol is an insidious poison, the action of which is distributed over time and depends on how much of the toxic substance from surrogate alcohol has entered the bloodstream. Doctors break down the symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning into three stages:

• at first the patient does not feel anything bad, feeling euphoria;
• after about half a day, thirst, nausea, dry mouth, and headache begin. The skin acquires a characteristic blue tint, the person begins to vomit, convulsions with loss of consciousness may develop;
• if no measures are taken to detoxify the poisoned person, then after 3 days liver and kidney failure develops, bilirubin is released by the liver into the blood, the skin turns yellow, the kidneys refuse to work up to the complete absence of urination. The man dies in agony.

Is it possible to get poisoned by moonshine

Moonshine is absolutely groundlessly considered "pure" alcohol, which cannot be poisoned. The content of fusel oils in such surrogate alcohol can exceed the permissible concentrations by tens or even hundreds of times. Fusel oils, which are rich in "pervach" of any strength, contain acetaldehyde, essential oils, pyridine, furfural and other poisonous toxic substances. No home-made cleaning system will save moonshine from poisons, the probability of poisoning with which is one and a half times greater than when drinking store-bought alcohol.

What to do with alcohol poisoning

Every person's body is different and reacts differently to alcohol. What for one will be the maximum dose of alcohol, after which intoxication will occur, the other will not even notice, so you need to carefully monitor the state of your body. The life of the injured person depends on the speed of first aid in case of poisoning, so you need to know the methods of diagnosis and first aid in case of severe poisoning by surrogates.

Diagnosis of alcohol intoxication

When a person is admitted to the hospital in an unconscious state, doctors can determine severe poisoning with alcohol surrogates by the stories of relatives, by visual observations - breath smell, pupil reaction to light, skin color. This is the so-called qualitative reaction, which allows you to make sure that the process of intoxication is underway. Next, it is necessary to establish the severity of the poisoning, for which blood, urine are taken from the victim, and they are checked in several ways for the content of various poisons.

Urgent care

Before you call an ambulance to hospitalize the patient, you need to try to alleviate the condition of the victim from surrogates, for which the following manipulations should be performed:

• lay the person on one side to prevent choking on vomit;
• if the patient is conscious, give a sorbent, a laxative, put an enema to urgently remove alcohol from the body;
• if the person is unconscious, then perform an indirect heart massage, perform mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration to supply oxygen to the internal organs;
• clearly and clearly let doctors know what alcohol-containing drinks were consumed so that the actions are as effective as possible.

Treatment

Poisoning with surrogate substances is treated in a stationary way. Physicians take the following steps:

• if a person is poisoned by methyl alcohol, then they perform a gastric lavage procedure using a probe, give absorbent substances;
• if poisoning has occurred with ethylene glycol surrogates, then calcium gluconate is administered intravenously to neutralize the breakdown products of alcohol;
• shown as an antidote drip introduction of a weak solution of ethanol, diuretics;
• carry out hemodialysis in order to purify the blood from alcohol;
• if the disease is started, and the kidneys fail, then the patient is transplanted this organ.

Consequences of alcohol poisoning

The state of a person after the provision of emergency medical care will depend on the depth of intoxication with alcohol surrogates, on how much the surrogate has destroyed his functional abilities. Poisoning with false surrogates leads to rapid death, while the prognosis for poisoning with ethanol-containing, "true" surrogates is more favorable, the patient can recover if he is not a chronic alcoholic.

Video: low-quality alcohol poisoning

Poisoning by alcohol substitutes is very dangerous, as it is often accompanied by severe pathological lesions of the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Such lesions often end in the death of the poisoned.

Some poisonings are associated with the use of low-quality alcohol, but in most cases poisoning with alcohol substitutes occurs in chronic alcoholics who use household chemicals, medicinal liquids and technical alcohols.

Classification of alcohol surrogates

What are alcohol substitutes? These are liquids containing alcohol, used in everyday life and for technical needs. They are used for the purpose of intoxication, when ordinary alcoholic beverages are not available. The group of alcohol surrogates can also include low-quality / counterfeit wine, cognac, vodka and other types of alcoholic beverages.

All surrogates of alcohol are usually divided into two large groups:

1. True surrogates liquids containing ethanol. This group includes drugs (tincture of hawthorn or motherwort), colognes, lotions and technical ethyl alcohol. More dangerous surrogates of this group include household liquids - for example, antifreeze, brake fluid, polish, BF glue, wall cleaners, solvents. They contain alcohol of a sulfate or hydrolytic type, impurities of methyl alcohol, essential oils, denatured alcohol, dyes, aldehydes, acetone and other toxic substances.
2. Substances that do not contain ethyl alcohol, but they cause intoxication. These substances have another name - false surrogates. These include butyl, formic, methyl, amyl and propyl alcohol, as well as dichloroethane and liquids for various purposes, sold in high concentrations. It is these "false surrogates" that are considered very poisonous, they pose a real danger to human life.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the danger fake alcoholic drinks- poisonous compounds (for example, methyl alcohol) enter them, which in most cases lead to death.

Symptoms of alcohol poisoning

The very first signs of the phenomenon under consideration are considered nausea and vomiting, dizziness and abdominal pain, severe headache and a feeling of lightheadedness. But further symptoms are variable and depend only on what exactly poisoned the person.

Methyl alcohol

The condition of the poisoned person will depend directly on how much the drink was consumed. The lethal dose of methyl alcohol is 100 ml.

The first symptoms of poisoning with this particular alcohol surrogate will be:

• nausea and vomiting;
• "flies" before the eyes;
• dry and red skin.

During the first day after poisoning, the victim develops severe thirst, sharp pains in the abdomen, intense headache, double vision, paroxysmal pain in the calf muscles.

With a severe development of poisoning, the victim rapidly develops blindness, convulsions and tension of the occipital muscles appear, the heart rhythm is disturbed and blood pressure drops. If the amount of the drunk surrogate is close to the lethal dose, then a coma occurs in a person, respiratory arrest is possible.

Note:if drinks with ethyl alcohol were consumed simultaneously with methyl alcohol, then the clinical picture will be less pronounced, since ethyl alcohol is able to partially neutralize methanol.

The described symptoms of methyl alcohol poisoning are identical to the clinical picture of formic alcohol poisoning.

ethylene glycol

The lethal dose of this substance is 150 ml. 6-8 hours after drinking the alcohol surrogate in question, the victim has a headache, intense thirst, too frequent diarrhea, almost indomitable vomiting, intense pain in the abdomen and lower back, skin and mucous membranes become red with a bluish tinge.

If severe poisoning with ethylene glycol has occurred, that is, the victim has consumed a dose close to fatal, then he will experience dilated pupils and excessive arousal, convulsions appear a little later, the patient loses consciousness. The terminal stage of ethylene glycol poisoning is characterized by heart failure, pulmonary edema, acute liver and kidney failure.

What to do in case of poisoning with alcohol substitutes

If there is a suspicion of poisoning with alcohol substitutes, then you should immediately call the ambulance brigade. It should be remembered that no lotions and medicinal herbs will help - the signs of poisoning are growing rapidly, the victim can die at any moment.

If the poisoned person is conscious, then before the doctors arrive, he should be given plenty of warm water to drink, and then induce vomiting. In case of an unconscious state, the victim should be laid on his side, the mouth should be cleaned of vomit, the tongue should be brought out and fixed in order to prevent the tongue from sinking and the patient's death from suffocation.

Note:if it is known for sure that a person was poisoned by methyl alcohol, then he can be given vodka or cognac to drink. Ethyl alcohol partially neutralizes methyl alcohol, which will alleviate the patient's condition .

Poisoning by alcohol substitutes is a common occurrence. Unfortunately, cases of poisoning by surrogates have recently become more frequent not only among antisocial individuals, but also among quite respectable citizens. It's all about the huge amount of fake alcohol that gets into retail outlets. Doctors strongly recommend not to buy cheap alcohol, to use the services of trusted outlets only. Well, lovers of a lot and cheap drinks should be reminded that poisoning with alcohol substitutes in almost every case leads either to disability or death.

Tsygankova Yana Alexandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category

okeydoc.ru

Ethanol poisoning

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol is a colorless, volatile, highly flammable chemical. It is included in the composition of all alcoholic beverages, has the ability to quickly spread throughout the body and penetrate all biological membranes. In moderate doses, ethanol causes a feeling of intoxication, and the simultaneous intake of large amounts of alcohol can cause poisoning. For example, 0.5 liters of vodka drunk during the day will maintain a state of intoxication, and the same amount consumed at a time may well cause poisoning of the body. This is due to the inability of the liver to process large amounts of ethanol.

In an hour, the body can completely split into simpler substances only 8 g of pure alcohol, of which 100 grams of vodka with a strength of forty degrees contains about 32 grams.

The first signs of alcohol intoxication can be observed from all important systems of the body.

• Gastrointestinal tract. Abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea.
• Central nervous system. Increased arousal, euphoria, dilated pupils, hallucinations, impaired speech and coordination of movements, increased sweating.
• The cardiovascular system. General weakness, redness of the face (in severe cases, pale skin), frequent pulse, low blood pressure.
• Respiratory system. Shortness of breath, symptoms of acute respiratory failure.
• Kidneys. Increased urination, in severe cases - its complete cessation.
• Liver. Soreness in the right hypochondrium, yellowness of the skin.

Severe alcohol poisoning can lead to a coma and death.



Types of alcohol surrogates

Alcohol surrogates are usually called liquids that contain alcohol, but they are not drinks. The danger of surrogates is that even small doses can cause serious consequences, up to death. Alcohol surrogates are classified into two groups depending on their ethanol content: containing ethanol and "false", that is, without ethyl alcohol.

The first group includes:

• denatured alcohol (technical alcohol);
• wood alcohols (hydrolysis, sulfite);
• butyl alcohol;
• colognes, medicinal tinctures;
• varnish;
• stain.

"False" surrogates are:

• methyl alcohol;
• ethylene glycol;
• dichloroethane;
• isopropanol;
• BF glue.



Not only should these liquids not be drunk, they should not even be tasted! If a person has switched from vodka to alcohol substitutes, he needs to be urgently treated for alcoholism. This will help proven medicines that can be ordered on the Internet.

Toxic effects of surrogates on the body

Even if ethanol is present in the surrogate, it becomes deadly in combination with industrial alcohols. They are in the body much longer than ethanol and cause severe poisoning of all organs and systems.

Methanol, circulating through the body, is broken down into formic acid and formaldehyde, causing severe damage to the central nervous system. Only 7 ml of this substance causes acute poisoning, which is signaled by the following symptoms: mild intoxication, fever, dilated pupils, dots before the eyes and sudden blindness, impaired heart function, convulsions. Without medical assistance, the patient falls into a coma and dies. With the consumption of more than 50 grams of methanol, death occurs immediately.

Ethylene glycol is part of antifreeze, windshield wipers, brake fluid. Half a glass of "non-freezing" provoke convulsions, confusion, difficulty breathing. 100 ml of this liquid is considered a lethal dose. Polish consists of ethanol, industrial alcohols, acetone and dyes. After drinking 50 ml of such a substance, a person will cause acute poisoning of the whole organism, which leads to a coma. A higher dose leads to irreversible effects and death. Only 5 ml of dichloroethane lead to convulsions and loss of consciousness, and 20 ml lead to death.

Colognes, hawthorn tinctures and other medicinal and cosmetic products containing alcohol are also toxic substitutes for alcohol. Their constant use inside leads to hypertension, kidney and liver failure.



The first actions in case of intoxication with alcohol and surrogates

If a person has been poisoned by alcohol or alcohol surrogates, the first action is to call an emergency team. Poisoning by alcohol surrogates, the symptoms of which may not be expressed in the first few hours, is extremely dangerous. After all, while the relatives of an alcoholic or a person who accidentally drank technical alcohol are inactive, severe intoxication of the body occurs. While the ambulance is on the way, the victim of poisoning with alcohol surrogates needs to be given first aid.

• Maintain an open airway if the person is unconscious:
• turn the patient on his side;
• pump out vomiting and saliva with a pear;
• fix the tongue to avoid suffocation.
• Bring to consciousness with ammonia.
• Rinse the stomach, causing vomiting:
• three glasses of warm water with salt (1 teaspoon per glass);
• vomiting agent.
• Use adsorbents:
• 4 tablets of activated charcoal for every 10 kg of body weight.
• Provide warmth (wrap in a blanket).
• If poisoning with methanol or ethylene glycol occurs, give vodka or another natural alcoholic drink to drink so that the surrogates do not break down into toxic substances.
• When the heartbeat stops or there is no breathing, do an indirect heart massage with artificial respiration. Two breaths into the victim's mouth are followed by 10-30 chest compressions until paramedics arrive or signs of life appear.



Gastric lavage and intake of adsorbents are effective only in the first two hours after poisoning. Therefore, first aid should be started immediately, without waiting for the appearance of serious symptoms of intoxication.

alcogolizmed.ru

Types of surrogates

A surrogate alcohol is an alcohol-containing drink that contains impurities or contains other monohydric and polyhydric alcohols (not only ethyl alcohol). Accordingly, alcohol surrogates are divided into 2 main groups:

• true;
• false.

The former contain ethyl alcohol and impurities that are extremely harmful to the body, which give the main toxic effect. Most often, poisoning with alcohol surrogates of the first group is observed after drinking moonshine, polish, denatured alcohol, and even wood stain for alcohol.

The second group contains not ethanol, but other alcohols. These drinks cause severe intoxication many times faster, but also have a more destructive effect on the body. The breakdown of such alcohols produces metabolites that are extremely toxic. This group of drinks includes brake fluid and antifreeze. Drinking such substances is typical for people at the stage of alcoholic degradation of the personality.

Poisoning by alcohol substitutes is most often observed in people who suffer from chronic alcoholism. Dependence on alcohol is at the stage when a person becomes indifferent to the quality of the drink and the danger of drinking alcohol to health.

Symptoms of poisoning

Since there are 2 groups of surrogates, it is important to understand that the symptoms will also differ greatly depending on the cause of the poisoning. Even if it is known which group the surrogate that provoked the poisoning belonged to (for example, it was a true surrogate), it is necessary to know what kind of impurity was contained in the drink in order to competently help the victim.

Symptoms of poisoning with true surrogates

Signs of poisoning with surrogates are similar to those that indicate that the patient has consumed ethyl alcohol, but in the first case, the malaise is more pronounced and is observed after a shorter period of time. The consequences of poisoning with a base alcoholic drink depend on the amount of alcohol ingested.

When poisoned by true surrogates, intoxication occurs due to toxic impurities. For example, after drinking hydrolytic alcohol, all the same symptoms appear as after drinking high-quality alcohol:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• weakness;
• drowsiness;
• sudden changes in blood pressure.

However, the speed of manifestation of the first signs is much higher. Intoxication is often recorded with the use of drugs for the heart on an alcohol basis. In this case, the symptoms of poisoning will be added:

• bradycardia;
• decompensated dysfunction of the myocardium.

Surrogate alcohol poisoning is often provoked by the use of alcohol-containing agents for external use. In this case, the patient will experience a sharp blue of the lips and mucous membranes, and the blood will become more brown. This is due to the presence of anestezin in the composition, which tends to prevent oxygen from entering the tissues and internal organs.

The use of alcohol in the form of cosmetics leads to disruption of the functioning of the digestive tract along with signs of simple alcohol poisoning. This is due to the presence of butyl and methyl alcohols in most cosmetic products, which can lead to acute gastritis and even provoke the development of hepatitis. When using the stain, a change in the color of the mucous membranes is observed, but this is due to the presence of dyes in the composition.

The main harm of moonshine lies in the danger of fusel oils, which have an extremely destructive effect on the liver and lead to acute liver failure, and in the most advanced cases, even to cirrhosis. To provoke severe poisoning by surrogates of this group, you need to drink a relatively small portion of an alcoholic liquid.

Symptoms of poisoning with false surrogates

The most common "substitute" for ethyl alcohol is methyl alcohol, which in itself does not cause much harm to the human body. The main danger is represented by its decomposition products - formic acid and formaldehyde.

It is possible to avoid acute poisoning with surrogate alcohol if ethyl alcohol is present along with methyl alcohol in the composition of the drink. The thing is that ethanol is an “antidote” that prevents the transformation of methanol into substances harmful to the body. Therefore, people suffering from chronic alcoholism mix two types of alcohol, but such experiments are extremely dangerous to health.

A small dose of a surrogate causes a mild stage of intoxication, during which a person feels satisfactory, only the main signs of alcohol intoxication appear. Poisoning with low-quality alcohol occurs at the end of this "hidden" period. If the amount of alcohol taken is a little more, signs of intoxication appear instantly: in just a few hours, a fatal outcome can occur if the person is not given proper assistance.

With a mild and moderate degree of poisoning, the following are observed:

• a sharp deterioration in vision with its subsequent restoration;
• dizziness;
• nausea.

In the severe stage, there are very pronounced symptoms of acute alcohol poisoning. A person can fall into an alcoholic coma within 2 hours after the onset of the first symptoms:

• drowsiness;
• violation of self-control;
• sudden changes in blood pressure;
• strong thirst;
• pain in the joints.

Another common substitute for ethyl alcohol is ethylene glycol, which is present in brake fluid. The danger is the decomposition products of this substance, the most toxic of which is oxalic acid, which causes kidney damage. Main symptoms:

• redness of the skin;
• change in the color of the mucous membranes;
• increase in heart rate;
• hyperthermia;
• violation of the perception of the surrounding world;
• psychomotor disorders;
• convulsions.

Oxalic acid leads to acute heart failure, disrupts the liver and provokes acute kidney failure, which is the most common cause of death in human poisoning with ethylene glycol.

Treatment

At the first signs of poisoning by surrogates, it is necessary to seek qualified help, as the ailment progresses at a very high rate. The first aid should always be gastric lavage with warm water.

Further treatment measures directly depend on the cause of the poisoning:

1. methanol. For treatment, ethanol is used in small doses, which prevents the breakdown of methanol. Atropine and prednisolone are used to restore vision.
2. Ethylene glycol. Sodium bicarbonate solution is used. It is necessary to correct the water and electrolyte balance and drink diuretics to restore kidney function.
3. True surrogates. Here, treatment is prescribed depending on which organs and systems of the body are affected. It all depends on the amount of alcohol taken and its type.

Alcohol poisoning and any of its surrogates can be extremely dangerous. Surrogate alcohol very often leads to death, and many people who have been treated after poisoning by surrogates become disabled. It is important to protect a person from drinking such alcohol.

Prevention

The best way to prevent it is to completely stop drinking alcohol. But even without this, you can protect yourself from danger:

1. Pay attention to the price of alcoholic drinks. Too low a price is the first sign of poor quality.
2. Buy alcoholic beverages only in trusted places - specialized stores or large supermarkets.
3. Good vodka has no sediment. If bubbles appear when shaking the container, this indicates a poor quality of the drink.
4. The bottle must have an excise stamp, where the date of bottling of alcohol is indicated in legible numbers.

Paying attention to these small nuances, you can almost completely eliminate the possibility of poisoning. If intoxication still occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor. Self-treatment of poisoning with alcoholic surrogates of severe severity can lead to disastrous consequences.

obotravlenii.ru

ALCOHOL AND ITS SURROGATES. The lethal dose of ethanol is 4-10 g / kg and is largely due to the degree of adaptation to it, individual differences and the state of the functions of the heart, liver, adrenal glands.

Ethanol is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract (especially on an empty stomach). The maximum concentration in the blood is found after 40-90 minutes when taken on an empty stomach and 90-180 minutes after eating fatty foods. 90% of it is metabolized in the liver with the participation of the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase, catalase and oxidase. 10% is excreted unchanged by the lungs, skin, kidneys. Toxigenic stage - 7-12 hours.

clinical picture. After the well-known symptoms of intoxication, in accordance with the dose taken, superficial or deep loss of consciousness occurs. Superficial coma is characterized by: floating movement of the eyeballs, the game of pupils (narrow, wide, anisocoria) and a decrease in photoreaction, injection of the sclera, lack of verbal contact, sneezing or awakening reaction (grimace on the face, movement of the head, legs, arms, attempt to rise) with irritation of the nasal mucosa with cotton wool moistened with ammonia. The smell of alcohol from the mouth. Hypersalivation, hyperhidrosis, hiccups, retching, vomiting. The skin is cold to the touch, moist. Muscle tone is evenly reduced, but hypertonicity may develop periodically (trasmus of masticatory muscles, myofibrillation). moderate tachycardia. Breathing is not disturbed. Swallowing is disorganized, but protective reflexes and reactions of spitting, coughing, choking are preserved. Deep coma is characterized by muscle atony, central standing of the eyeballs, lack of pupillary response to light, corneal, swallowing and cough reflexes, acrocyanosis, hypotension, metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia. Respiration is usually stridor or Cheyne-Stokes type. Aspiration of vomit is possible.

True alcohol surrogates are inferior substitutes for ethanol used as alcoholic beverages. These include: hydrolytic and technical (denatured alcohol) alcohol, colognes, lotions, moonshine, varnish, BF glue, stain. Poisoning by true alcohol surrogates is characterized by a deeper and more protracted coma with respiratory and hemodynamic disturbances.

Complications of alcoholic coma: ARF of aspiration-obstructive type, apnea of ​​central origin, prolonged positional compression syndrome, acute cardiovascular insufficiency, etc.

The syndrome of prolonged positional compression (positional compression of tissues) develops as a result of prolonged compression of the muscles of the limbs and torso by the weight of one's own body with the development of myoglobinuric nephrosis against the background of prolonged exotoxic coma (as a rule, in case of carbon monoxide poisoning, hypnotics, alcohol). A prerequisite for its development is the patient's stay in a coma in an uncomfortable position for at least 4 hours, often on a hard surface. In pathogenesis, a significant role is played by underoxidized products of ischemic tissues, the breakdown of myocytes, the release of myoglobin, potassium, histamine, hydrolases and other biologically active substances from them. SDPS is clinically manifested by the end of 1-2 days. Local changes are characterized by a slow increase in edema of the limbs and torso injured by compression, reaching a significant size and woody density, a sharp soreness of edematous tissues with its spread to healthy areas of the muscles against the background of loss of superficial and deep sensitivity, trophic skin disorders in the area of ​​greatest compression (blue-purple color , bruises, hemorrhages, conflicts). After leaving the coma, patients report general weakness, malaise, dry mouth, headache, nausea or even vomiting, pain and limited movement in the affected parts of the body, oliguria, dark (red-brown, black) color of urine. In the blood, free myoglobin is found, an increase in the content of potassium in the plasma. The ECG may show signs of hyperkalemia. In the future, a clinic of polyneuritis is observed, and with compression of large muscle masses - acute renal failure.

A frequent intoxication syndrome that complicates chronic alcoholism is Gaye-Wernicke-Korsakov's acute encephalitis. A stormy onset is characteristic: psychomotor agitation, impaired consciousness, tachypnea, nystagmus, ptosis of the eyelids, inhibition of the pupillary reaction to light, decerebrate rigidity, a symptom of violent seizure, bilateral pathological Babinski's reflexes.

Emergency care and treatment. 1. Correction of life-threatening respiratory and circulatory disorders, relief of seizures. 2. Atropine, 0.5 ml of a 0.1% solution subcutaneously. 3. Pancreas (in a deep coma - after tracheal intubation), saline laxative. PZh is performed if no more than 2-3 hours have passed since the intake of alcohol. 4. Chronic alcoholism sufferers are given vitamin Bb 1-2 ml intravenously and 1 ml intramuscularly, then glucose, 60 ml of a 40% solution, in order to avoid the development of Gaye's encephalopathy - Wernicke-Korsakov. The administration of glucose should always be preceded by the administration of vitamin bi. 5. Sodium hypochlorite, 0.06% solution - 500 ml intravenously over 45 minutes: With ongoing non-stopping lactic acidosis - 4% sodium bicarbonate solution under the control of CBS, with ketoacidosis - glucose with insulin. 6. Unitiol - 10 ml of 5% solution, sodium thiosulfate - 30-40 ml of 30% solution, vitamins B and B6 - 4 ml of 5% solution each, ATP - 3-5 ml, prednisolone - 30 mg intravenously, nicotinic acid - 5 ml of 1% solution subcutaneously. 7. In case of acute Gaye-Wernicke-Korsakov encephalopathy, it is necessary to inject 20-30 ml of 5% solution of vitamin Bb 8 intravenously. Forced diuresis. Due to the fact that ethanol inhibits the production of antidiuretic hormone, the need for the use of diuretics is rare. 9. With an extremely high level of ethanol in the blood (> 7000 mg / l), it is urgent to perform HD or PD. 10. In cases of aspiration syndrome - glucocorticoids at a dose of 3-20 mg / kg every other day, based on prednisolone, protease inhibitors, antiplatelet agents, metrogil 100 ml intravenously every 8 hours, albumin, fresh frozen plasma, a combination of antibiotics, taking into account the sensitivity of the flora to him, heparin under the control of clotting time, UV blood, inhalation, therapeutic chest massage, fibrobronchoscopy, hemosorption. With an increase in ARF, patients with mechanical ventilation with PDKvyd should be carried out. 11. In cases of SDPS at the prehospital stage, it is necessary to perform anesthesia with non-narcotic and narcotic analgesics, immobilize the injured limbs, inject intravenously 10 ml of 2.4% solution of eufillin, 2 ml of no-shpa and tavegil, 400 ml of 4% sodium bicarbonate solution, 400 ml of rheopolyglucin, and with manifestations of hyperkalemia - 10 ml of a 10% solution of calcium gluconate. 12. With acute renal failure - treatment in accordance with the stages. At the initial stage, measures are taken to stabilize general and renal hemodynamics, improve blood rheology and peripheral circulation, eliminate metabolic acidosis, myoglobinuria, DIC, hyperkalemia, proteolysis, endogenous intoxication, stimulate diuresis with osmodiuretics or saluretics (lasix - up to 25 mg /kg/day). Early use of hemodialysis is indicated, without waiting for azotemia and anuria, due to acidosis and hyperkalemia. In the oligoanuric stage, treatment should be aimed at preventing death from acidosis, hyperkalemia, generalization of infection, pulmonary and cerebral edema. Infusion therapy is carried out under the control of CVP, hourly diuresis, blood pressure, taking into account all fluid losses. The main infusion media are concentrated glucose (20-10%) with insulin, rheopolyglucin, washed erythrocytes or erythrocyte mass (for anemia), sodium bicarbonate (for acidosis). A patient with anuria in the absence of fever, vomiting and diarrhea should be injected intravenously with no more than 500 ml of liquid. Preference in this case is given to glucose and washed erythrocytes. Alkalization is performed by taking the calculated amount of baking soda through the mouth. Mandatory introduction of antispasmodics (eufillin, no-shpy, papaverine) every 3 hours with alternation; complamin and droperidol - every 8-12 hours, non-nephrotoxic antibiotics, taking into account the half-life and the need to reduce the dose in conditions of impaired concentration and excretory function of the kidneys, retabolil, methyluracil, antiplatelet agents, clonidine and obzidan (for arterial hypertension), heparin, protease inhibitors, vitamins E, C, group B, cytochrome C. Osmodiuretics are not indicated and are dangerous. The dose of Lasix is ​​reduced to 4-7 mg/kg/day. Enterosorption. The diet is carbohydrate-fat with restriction of sodium chloride, liquid and proteins. In cases of hyperkalemia, intravenous gluconate or calcium chloride is administered. With the ineffectiveness of conservative therapy, HD with HS, HD with ultrafiltration is used. In the stage of restoring diuresis, special attention is paid to the correction of water and electrolyte disorders, hypoproteinemia, anemia, acidosis, immunity, and infection control. The main thing is to prevent death from dehydration and dyselectrolytemia. 3 g of table salt are added to diet No. 7 and foods rich in potassium are prescribed to drink plenty of water. Intravenous infusion of glucose with potassium preparations, gemodez, disol, trisol and other balanced crystalloid solutions. In the initial stage of restoring diuresis, the dose of lasix is ​​reduced to 1-2 mg/kg/day, potassium-sparing diuretics (veroshpiron, etc.), lespenephril are added, diuretics are canceled at the stage of true polyuria. HBO is effective, sometimes there is a need for HD with GS. 13. To eliminate toxic encephalopathy, hypoxia protectors are used in an adequate dose (cerebrolysin - 10-20 ml / day, piracetam - 30 ml / day 5% solution, actovegin - 0.4-1 g / day in injections or 2-4 g 10 % solution with glucose, instenon - 4 mg / day, Cavinton - 8-10 ml / day, etc. ), nimotop and other blockers of slow calcium channels, vitamins, unitiol, sodium thiosulfate in usual doses, protease inhibitors (for example, contrical, 200-300 thousand units / day), ATP - 10 ml / day by intravenous titration, craniocerebral hypothermia, normovolemia. Hyperperfusion should be avoided, especially with changes in the heart and impaired renal function. In the case of severe intracranial hypertension, osmodiuretics, glycerin, spinal puncture with intralumbar administration of isotonic sodium chloride solution, mechanical ventilation in moderate hyperventilation mode are used. 14. Patients with polyneuritis receive rehabilitation treatment in a neurological hospital at the place of residence.

After acute renal failure, dispensary observation and treatment by a nephrologist for at least 2 years is necessary.

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Classification of alcohol surrogates

There are two groups of surrogates: true and false. True surrogates contain ethanol and various impurities. When drinking such drinks, poisoning occurs due to the toxic effect of impurities. False surrogates do not contain ethanol, but other alcohols that cause intoxication. Poisoning develops as a result of the action of toxic metabolites formed during the breakdown of alcohols.

Poisoning by alcohol surrogates is usually diagnosed in alcoholics who are ready to consume any alcohol-containing liquids without regard to their quality and health hazards. The most common causes of poisoning by true surrogates are the intake of denatured alcohol, polish, alcohol stain for wood, alcohol-based medicines, alcohol-containing cosmetics, and moonshine. Poisoning by alcohol substitutes that do not contain ethanol develops after taking methanol, as well as brake fluid and ethylene glycol-based deicers.

Symptoms of poisoning with alcohol substitutes based on ethanol

The symptoms that occur after the use of true surrogates depend on the impurities that make up the alcohol-containing liquid. After taking hydrolytic alcohol, the manifestations are the same as after drinking too much regular alcohol: nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, dry mouth. Hydrolyzed alcohol is more toxic than ethyl alcohol, so signs of poisoning by alcohol surrogates are observed after taking a smaller amount of alcohol.

In patients with severe alcoholism, poisoning with alcohol surrogates often occurs when taking alcohol-containing heart drugs. The composition of such drugs includes cardiac glycosides that provoke bradycardia. With the systematic use or taking a large dose, acute heart failure may develop. Anesthesin is often added to external alcohol-containing products, which blocks the ability of blood to deliver oxygen to organs and tissues. Poisoning by alcohol surrogates is manifested by symptoms of oxygen starvation. The mucous membranes become bluish, the blood becomes brown.

The composition of cosmetics, along with ethanol, includes butyl and methyl alcohols. After taking such drugs, symptoms of ordinary acute alcohol poisoning occur in combination with signs of gastrointestinal damage. Perhaps inflammation of the gastric mucosa (gastritis) and the development of hepatitis. After the use of alcohol stain, as well as after taking external alcohol-containing preparations, poisoning with alcohol surrogates is manifested by cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes, however, this symptom is not due to oxygen starvation, but to the action of the dyes that make up the stain. The blue color persists for a long time (sometimes several months). When taking moonshine, typical alcohol intoxication is observed, but moonshine has a more pronounced destructive effect on the liver due to the high content of fusel oils.

Symptoms of poisoning with alcohol substitutes based on other alcohols

The taste and smell of methyl alcohol are the same as those of ethyl alcohol. A lethal outcome can occur after consuming only 100 ml. Individual sensitivity varies, so after consuming the same dose, one patient may experience more severe alcohol surrogate poisoning than another. The severity of poisoning also depends on whether the patient simultaneously took ethanol, which is an antidote to methanol - some alcoholics dilute methyl alcohol with ethyl alcohol to avoid poisoning.

However, such attempts to save are associated with an immediate risk to life. Methanol itself is not poisonous, but when it is broken down in the body, strong poisons formaldehyde and formic acid are formed. When using a large dose, signs of poisoning by alcohol surrogates appear almost immediately, death occurs after a few hours. When taking a small dose, there is a latent period during which the patient feels satisfactory.

A mild form of poisoning with alcohol surrogates is manifested by nausea, repeated vomiting, headache, dizziness, epigastric pain, mild visual disturbances - flickering flies, impaired clarity of perception (“seen through a fog”). Symptoms persist for several days and then gradually disappear. In case of poisoning with alcohol surrogates of moderate severity, the manifestations are similar, but all the symptoms are more pronounced. After 1-2 days the patient loses sight. Subsequently, vision is partially restored, but then deteriorates again. Such poisonings usually do not pose a threat to life, but can lead to visual impairment with access to disability.

In severe form, there are pronounced typical symptoms of poisoning with alcohol substitutes, drowsiness and stupor. A few hours later, there is increasing thirst, pain in the legs, dryness and cyanosis of the mucous membranes, rhythm disturbances, tachycardia and increased blood pressure. Subsequently, tachycardia is replaced by bradycardia, blood pressure drops. There is confusion, convulsions and psychomotor agitation are possible. In case of especially severe poisoning with alcohol surrogates, the time interval between the appearance of the first symptoms and the onset of pronounced impairment of vital activity is only 2-3 hours. The result is a coma and death as a result of respiratory arrest and violations of the heart.

Another common poisoning occurs when using brake fluid containing ethylene glycol. The lethal dose, as in methanol poisoning, is only 100 ml. The cause of poisoning is the formation of toxic intermediate products of the breakdown of ethylene glycol, in particular oxalic acid, which provokes acidosis and has a destructive effect on the kidneys as a result of the formation of sodium oxalate crystals.

Initially, poisoning with alcohol substitutes resembles severe alcohol intoxication. After a few hours, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, intense thirst, tachycardia, shortness of breath and fever appear. The skin and mucous membranes are dry, there is reddening of the skin and cyanosis of the mucous membranes. Possible psychomotor agitation. In severe poisoning with alcohol substitutes, convulsions, progressive disorders of consciousness and acute heart failure are observed. After 2-3 days, renal failure develops, liver dysfunction occurs. Death occurs due to progression of renal failure.

www.krasotaimedicina.ru

Varieties of surrogate alcohol that everyone needs to know about

Poor-quality surrogate alcohol consists of a liquid that is used for technical needs. But now such a surrogate is used for intoxication, first of all, those people who do not have access to a quality drink.

Vodka, Wine, cognac and other drinks that are produced in violation of all technological norms and rules lead to acute poisoning of a person who simply cannot be brought back to normal in one day. This often requires medical intervention. Surrogates can be divided into the following groups:

• Ethanol - and all drinks associated with this substance entail severe damage to the entire body. Some of the most dangerous liquids for humans include: antifreeze, glue, solvent, polish. More often than not, the emergency ambulance can no longer help. These liquids are very poisonous and have their purpose in everyday life, but are not intended for ingestion.
• There is a group of drinks that has a name such as - false surrogates. These include butyl, methyl, amyl alcohols. Ethylene glycol. All of these surrogates have an oily structure, have no pronounced odor and have a slightly slightly sweet taste. Such a composition of alcohols naturally leads the body to hopping, but leads to severe acute poisoning and death.

The main symptoms of surrogate alcohol poisoning

If poisoning with alcohol surrogates has happened, and it happens differently for everyone, the main thing is to find out the amount of the drink drunk and the composition of this surrogate. It can be compositions of alcohol such as:

• denatured alcohol
• hydrolytic sulfite alcohol;
• butyl, allyl alcohol;
• polish - industrial alcohol.

The first acute signs of intoxication are very similar to poisoning with plain vodka, but in significant quantities. Nausea turns into vomiting, severe dizziness, dry mouth, and headache. Subsequent symptoms are indirectly related to the drink and the dose of consumption. Alcohol poisoning has three symptoms:

Methyl alcohol poisoning

After taking methyl alcohol, symptoms begin to appear after half an hour. During this time, methyl is distributed throughout the body, causing a weak narcotic effect. First of all, the retina and respiratory system are damaged. Euphoria after half an hour passes and damage to the kidneys and heart occurs. One hundred milligrams of drunk methyl alcohol is fatal.

If, after taking methyl alcohol, the initial signs of poisoning occur, which have their own order, it is urgent to provide first aid. There is dry skin, intense thirst, hyperemia, severe pain in muscle tissues, double vision, persistent headache, fainting, significant visual impairment, convulsions, coma, lack of breathing.

If the drunk dose was more than 100 ml, then all these symptoms begin to proceed at lightning speed. Emergency first aid in this situation can no longer help. A person is dying.

Symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning

If a person has consumed 150 ml of a deadly liquid such as ethylene glycol, then after 8-9 hours the patient will begin to experience the following symptoms:

• severe pain in the abdomen and lumbar region;
• copious vomit;
• stomach upset;
• headache;
• mucous and skin become cyanotic;
• with poisoning, pupil dilation is observed;
• convulsions;
• loss of consciousness.

If emergency care was not called at this stage, then the treatment can be delayed and plunge the patient's body to other undesirable consequences, such as the development of heart failure, pulmonary edema, and eventually kidney and liver failure occurs. It will be difficult to treat the consequences of such poisoning and require urgent hospitalization.

moonshine poisoning

You can hear many myths about this drink, such as - this is the purest drink, prepared at home practically does not harm the body. This opinion is very wrong. The content of fusel oils in moonshine carries a great danger to the body, since toxicity increases 1.5 times compared to ordinary ethanol. As a result, the following symptoms appear:

1. The mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract begins to break down.
2. Erosions appear on the mucous membranes.
3. The drunkenness is immediate.
4. There is severe nausea and vomiting.
5. The next morning there is a strong hangover syndrome.
6. Dehydration of the body.

If a similar situation arose, then treatment should, as with all other poisonings with various alcohols, be carried out immediately.

Poisoning with drugs containing alcohol

Many people begin to experiment on their body and take medicinal alcohol-containing preparations that can destroy the liver, heart and stomach lining. According to statistics, more than 20,000 people die from these drugs every year. Everyone should know that these drugs are not designed to be taken by mouth in high doses. All these tinctures are designed for specific purposes that help the body cope with many diseases: mint, ginseng, hawthorn, motherwort, propolis, valerian, corvalol.

With regular use of these drugs, acute poisoning can occur. Treatment in this situation may no longer be needed, as convulsions, cardiac arrest and death occur. With such poisoning and symptoms, first aid will simply be ineffective.

First aid and treatment for alcohol poisoning

When the first symptoms of poisoning appear, treatment should be started as soon as possible. First of all, if there are no means at hand that can rid the body of poisoning, it is necessary to call an emergency ambulance. Otherwise, intoxication can develop rapidly, which can lead the human body to irreversible consequences.

If a person is conscious, then before the arrival of doctors, it is necessary to begin treatment, namely:

• The first and necessary thing to do is to drink about 3 liters of warm water and, without fail, induce vomiting in order to free the stomach from the drunk mixture, and thereby rinse the stomach. After the stomach is completely freed, it is allowed to drink 1 cup of hot strong tea.
• The patient needs to drink about ten tablets of activated charcoal. Coal adsorbs alcohol and its decay products that remain in the intestines.
• An aspirin tablet will help to cope with headaches and muscle pain.

If it so happened that the patient lost consciousness, then first of all it is necessary to put him on his side, try to clean the oral cavity from accumulated vomit as soon as possible, pull the tongue out of the oral cavity and fix it. Such assistance will help prevent asphyxia.

In case of intense poisoning with methyl alcohol, before the arrival of doctors, if consciousness is not lost, the patient must be given 150 ml of vodka to drink, but only high-quality products should be at hand. Ethyl alcohol, getting into the stomach, reacts with methyl and thus slows down the decomposition of harmful substances. But in any situation, this method is acceptable until the arrival of doctors. Under any circumstances, the patient should be provided with medical care in a hospital.

If there is complete certainty that denatured alcohol has become the cause of the poisoning, then it is immediately necessary to call an emergency ambulance and take the victim to the hospital. Any delay could cost the victim their life.

If the patient has symptoms of kidney or liver failure due to alcohol poisoning, then treatment occurs not only at the stage of removing toxins from the body. After first aid is provided, it is necessary to carry out dialysis-filtration treatment of liver failure.

If there is a desire to drink, then alcoholic beverages must be bought in specialized stores with a good reputation. And it is best not to drink in order to avoid various poisonings.

otravilsja.ru

What are

In fact, there are quite a few substitutes for alcoholic beverages, they are divided into two groups:

• With ethanol. These are medicines, lotions and industrial alcohol. All the tools that people use in everyday life belong to this group. They can contain various poisons that can cause very severe poisoning and lead to death.
• Without ethanol. These are false surrogates, but still they lead to a clouded state, similar to intoxication. These are methyl, butyl, amyl alcohols, gasoline, dichlorvos.

It is also customary to include cologne, disinfectants, alcohol tinctures from a pharmacy, as well as moonshine, among fake alcohol.

The latter is a rather toxic product that disrupts the functioning of the whole organism due to the content of harmful oils in it. This is a product that is a liquid similar to oil of different colors, mostly light yellow, with an unpleasant odor. It is produced from alcohol during the fermentation of moonshine. This type of surrogate drink is made at home from various food products: sugar, rye flour, peas, wheat, even from potato peels. And any product contains these oils in large quantities.

The news that moonshine poisons the human body one and a half times more than wine alcohol has been proven by experts.

If drunkenness with drinking moonshine does not stop for a long time, then a person develops alcoholism. This results in a hangover syndrome, and physical dependence on alcohol, and aggression in a state of a hangover.

A strong addiction to a surrogate also entails a mental disorder, degradation, the drinker can no longer imagine his life without a glass of moonshine. The strength of attraction to this type of surrogate is much stronger than to other varieties of this drink.

Binges with the use of moonshine are much more common than with ordinary alcoholism. Also, a constant companion of this disease is amnesia in a state of intoxication, aggression, deceit, indifference to one's relatives, decreased efficiency and attention.

Effect on the body

A rather large assortment of surrogates of alcoholic products on the shelves of stores leads to their uncontrolled use by people who are addicted to alcohol.

Brake fluid, it would seem, is needed for cars, but the alcoholic uses it in his own way - inside. And, once in the body, it decomposes, forming very toxic decay products. The victim has a sharp excitation of the nervous system, then depression and sleepy. If the dose of the drunk is very large, then loss of consciousness may occur, convulsions appear, breathing and heart function are disturbed. News of this type of poisoning is often covered up, and doctors classify it as unexplained liquor poisoning. In this case, urgent medical care is needed, because if left like this, then in a couple of days acute renal failure will occur, which can lead to the failure of this organ.

The effect of solvents on organs is even stronger. When taking just a teaspoon, a person experiences severe vomiting, weakness, loss of consciousness. If the poisoned person is not urgently hospitalized and complex treatment is not applied, then the consequences can be very deplorable.

Methyl alcohol, so popular among alcoholics and low-income people with a strong desire to drink, breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde when ingested. These two components cause an attack of headache, dizziness. If the poisoned person is not hospitalized, then in a day he can become completely blind.

In many countries, news about the tragic outcome of poisoning by alcohol substitutes is distributed by the media in order for the population to monitor the quality of drinking, and because of drunken recklessness, do not cross the threshold of what is permitted.

After ingestion of acetone, a burn of the gastric mucosa occurs and damage to the kidneys. The victim develops acute gastritis. The same happens with the ingestion of perfumes and cosmetics. Glue BF leads to instant intoxication, and with a repeated dose leads to the onset of sleep.

In all cases of taking surrogate drinks, patients have a serious condition, depression, and even suicide attempts are possible. All this suggests that the poisons contained in these products, when they enter the body, destroy it, causing toxic poisoning and severe disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system.

Drug alcoholism is the second most common, after moonshine. A large assortment of alcohol tinctures freely available and at a low price in any nearest pharmacy gives alcoholics the opportunity to drink these drugs without restrictions. This is a tincture of hawthorn, and motherwort, and propolis, and ginseng. All of them contain alcohol, and should be used as directed strictly in doses prescribed by the doctor. However, news about poisoning with these tinctures suggests that there are no limits for alcoholics. In such patients, the liver, stomach, and heart are gradually destroyed. Such a condition in which convulsions appear, loss of consciousness can lead to cardiac arrest and death of a person. Therefore, all patients need compulsory treatment in the hospital.

Help with poisoning

However, surrogate alcoholism severely disrupts all body functions, and this leads to the fact that a person can withstand a large dose of a toxic substance and not experience immediate poisoning. And this, of course, leads to even greater complications.

Before the arrival of the ambulance, the victim should try to wash the stomach. There are several proven ways to do this. The first and easiest is to induce vomiting. After that, it is allowed to drink a glass of strong sweet tea. If a person has lost consciousness, then only doctors in the hospital can do the washing.

If a person has been poisoned by methanol, then he should be allowed to drink one hundred grams of high-quality vodka or cognac in order to kill the poisons of the destructive action of methanol. After that, immediately call an ambulance, as this can cost a person's life.

The most reliable way to avoid poisoning by substitutes for alcoholic beverages is to completely abstain from alcohol. Food and household chemicals should be stored separately from each other, and the purchase of alcoholic beverages should be carried out only in reliable stores with a good reputation.

You need to watch the news about poisoning by a surrogate and draw the appropriate conclusions. After all, human life is much more valuable than a drunk glass.

Surrogate alcohol poisoning belongs to the category, which contains various impurities. It also includes poisoning with an alcoholic substitute based on other polyhydric or monohydric alcohols.

An alcohol surrogate is an alcohol-containing liquid that is not intended for ingestion. Therefore, this substance provokes such reactions and changes in the body that threaten not only health, but also life.

Alcohol surrogate intoxication is most often observed:

• in people suffering from alcoholism, who do not particularly care about the quality of the alcohol they drink,
• among adolescents who, for obvious reasons, cannot purchase high-quality alcoholic beverages,
• quite rarely this happens to adequate adults due to the fact that they mistakenly or unknowingly bought low-quality products.

Poisoning is usually accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, convulsions, diarrhea, hyperemia (reddening of the skin), loss of vision, and others. Sometimes psychosis develops, acute liver failure and everything can end in death.

To accurately diagnose, external symptoms are not enough. It is necessary to take special clinical samples, after which treatment is prescribed in the form of detoxification and restoration of the normal functioning of the affected organs.

Among other types of intoxication, surrogate alcohol poisoning occupies a leading position both in terms of distribution and in terms of the number of deaths. And often a person does not even have time to be hospitalized. Also, in most cases, everything ends with serious health problems.

Classification and toxicity of alcohol surrogates

There are two types of alcohol substitutes:

• True, which include ethanol with various impurities. The latter just cause poisoning.
• False, containing other alcohols, introducing into a state of intoxication. They themselves are toxic to the body.

The ethanol-containing group includes:

• denatured alcohol,
• cologne,
• butyl alcohol,
• wood spirits,
• stain,
• varnish.

The surrogate is much more toxic than ordinary alcohol, for example, there is aldehyde in denatured alcohol, methanol in wood, a whole “bouquet” of toxic alcohols in polish, and dyes in stain.

The group of false surrogates includes:

• glue bf,
• methanol,
• dichloroethane.

The toxicity of alcoholic surrogates is determined by the presence of technical alcohols in their composition. Although ethanol is a drinking liquid, in combination with other chemicals it becomes deadly to humans.

When an ordinary, acceptable drink containing alcohol enters the body, the latter goes through a series of breakdowns, eventually turning into carbon dioxide and water. They are safely excreted by the lungs and the liver, which uses its carbohydrate reserves for this process.

With industrial alcohols, everything is not so simple, because they break down much longer than their "edible" counterparts, circulating in the blood and destroying internal organs. For example, amyl alcohol is not excreted for about two days, significantly undermining the work of the heart muscle, from which a person can die.

When alcohol surrogates are consumed regularly, vascular tone decreases, microthrombi are formed, which together provokes hypertension. Kidney and liver failure also occurs, because these organs remove toxins, due to which their tissues gradually die.

Toxic doses of false surrogates

The danger of a false surrogate for the body is that even a small amount of it can lead to death. The toxic dose of a substance depends on its composition:

• isopropanol - 0.5-2 ml / kg of weight,
• dichloroethane - 5 ml,
• methanol (methyl hydrate) - 7-8 ml,
• butyral-phenolic glue (BF) - 20-50 ml,
• acetone - 30 ml,
• polyura - 50 ml,
• ethylene glycol - 50 ml.

Severe intoxication occurs when 0.5 ml/kg of isopropanol is ingested. A person falls into a coma or he has a strong decrease in pressure and serious disturbances in the digestive tract. If 240 ml of this substance is drunk, death occurs.

Dichloroethane is the most toxic of these substances. 5 ml or even less is enough for it to hit all the internal organs, lead to convulsions and loss of consciousness. A dose of 20 ml is lethal.

As a result of the breakdown of methanol in the body, formaldehyde and formic acid are obtained, which are highly toxic and cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system. For an adult, 7 ml is enough to lose sight and lose consciousness, and 50 g of this substance causes instant death.

BF glue contains acetone, ethanol and chloroform. However, these are not permanent ingredients in its composition, but the toxic dose of the liquid depends on them. Usually 20 ml is enough for a person to feel a serious deterioration in well-being.

If acetone enters the body, it strongly irritates the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, causing inflammation. To get poisoned, it is enough to drink 30 ml of this liquid. Exceeding this "limit" leads to death.

The polish combines acetone, ethanol, other impurities and alcohols, sometimes there are aniline dyes. 50 ml of this substance, getting inside the body, affects all systems and organs, leading to coma. Instant death causes the use of 150 ml of polish.

Ethylene glycol is broken down in the body into highly toxic oxalic and glycolic acids. 50 g of this liquid, taken internally, causes convulsions, impaired consciousness, difficulty breathing. If you drink 100 g - this is guaranteed death.

Symptoms of intoxication with true surrogates

Quite often, the symptoms of alcohol poisoning and its true surrogates are similar. However, depending on which components were included in the alcohol-containing drink, the signs may be supplemented by new factors or severity.

When hydrolysis alcohol is present in alcohol, it, like ethyl alcohol, provokes:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• dry mouth
• headache,
• dizziness.

If a person abuses alcohol-containing heart drugs, he develops bradycardia, since these drugs contain cardiac glycosides. When they are taken systematically and in large doses, this can lead to the development of acute heart failure.

When an alcohol-containing agent for external use is taken internally, this causes oxygen starvation of the tissues of the internal organs. Since anesthesin is often added to such substances, which prevents the delivery of oxygen to tissues and organs.

Signs of surrogate alcohol poisoning can be supplemented by:

• palpitations,
• bluish mucous membranes,
• the development of hepatitis
• gastritis.

When moonshine is abused, its fusel oils have a strong destructive effect on the liver, causing liver failure and cirrhosis.

Symptoms of intoxication with false surrogates

The composition of surrogate alcohol may include, which does not differ from ethyl alcohol in either taste or smell. However, just 100 ml of this liquid is enough to be fatal. Depending on individual sensitivity, this dose may vary downwards. And if a person also took ethanol, which is an antidote to methanol, the picture of intoxication can generally be blurred.

For this reason, alcoholics often interfere with these two types of alcohol. However, such "chemistry" is dangerous to health because, splitting in the body, methanol forms formic acid and formaldehyde. If they accumulate too much, it causes inevitable death.

How does it feel to replace ethyl alcohol with some technical one:

• pain in the stomach,
• nausea,
• prolonged vomiting,
• headache,
• visual impairment ("flies", "fog").

This is a mild form of intoxication. Symptoms can persist for up to several days, gradually fading away if the person no longer drinks surrogate alcohol.

The average severity of surrogate alcohol poisoning is accompanied by the same symptoms, but in a more pronounced form, and on the second day the person loses his sight. After a while, it can partially recover, and then again the abyss. For life, the average degree of intoxication does not pose a threat, but it is quite possible to become visually impaired.

A severe form of poisoning is supplemented by the following signs:

• stunned,
• drowsiness,
• intense thirst,
• temperature rise,
• dryness, bluish mucous membranes,
• skin hyperemia,
• leg pain,
• tachycardia followed by bradycardia
• shortness of breath,
• sudden rise and fall in blood pressure
• confusion,
• psychomotor agitation,
• convulsions.

With very severe intoxication with surrogate alcohol, a person has literally 2-3 hours between the appearance of the first signs of poisoning and irreversible damage to internal organs. If during this time the correct assistance was not provided, there is a violation of the work of the heart, lungs, the patient falls into a coma and dies.

How to help a person who has been poisoned by a substitute for alcohol

First aid poisoned by surrogate alcohol depends on his condition. If he lost consciousness, it is necessary:

• lay the victim on a hard, level surface,
• turn his head to one side so that he does not choke in case of vomiting,
• call the doctors.

If a person stops breathing, first you need to call an ambulance, and then carry out resuscitation procedures.

When the patient is conscious before the arrival of doctors, it is necessary to give him:

• sorbent,
• saline laxative,
• jelly or other enveloping decoction.

After that, you need to take care of urgent hospitalization.

The hospital will take the following steps:

• Wash the stomach with a tube. If it is found out that the intoxication was due to methanol, this washing will be repeated for three days.
• They will give sorbents and an antidote, for example, a liquid with a strictly defined concentration of ethyl alcohol (intravenously or orally).
• When the poisoning was due to false surrogates, calcium gluconate will be administered to neutralize the decay products.
• Conduct forced diuresis, if there is no violation of the kidneys.
• With severe intoxication with a false surrogate, a kidney transplant may be required.
• If necessary, toxins from the blood will be removed by hemodialysis.
• To support the work of the body, various drugs and vitamins are administered intravenously.
• When intoxication was due to methanol, a spinal puncture is taken for testing.

Consequences of surrogate alcohol poisoning

Even if surrogate alcohol contains ethyl alcohol, to which the human body does not react so sharply, the consequences of intoxication even from this substance are often quite serious. What can we say about when people intentionally or mistakenly drink industrial alcohol.

The consequences in most cases are determined not by the amount of alcohol consumed, but by the timeliness and literacy of the assistance provided. There are more deaths among alcoholics, because their poisoning is much more severe than those who do not suffer from such an addiction.

With methanol intoxication, a person can become completely blind. Even after removing the poison, vision will not be restored. Also, false surrogates cause kidney failure. Those who are poisoned often die.

It is not difficult to protect yourself from surrogate alcohol poisoning. It is enough to buy certified products in trusted stores. In no case should you consume non-edible liquids, drink what is bought from your hands, or moonshine brewed at the nearest “point”. It is highly likely that in order to reduce the cost of the product or give it special properties, something that cannot be taken orally was added to it.