Methanol Research Paper

Methanol poisoning write up

Methanol poisoning is classed as a poisonous effect which is the result of ingesting, inhaling, or absorbing through the skin of methanol which can: lead to impairment of the central nervous system, cause severe acidosis, blindness and if left untreated can eventually lead to death. 1

Methanol is quickly absorbed after entering the body, though is not very toxic.2 In fact small amounts of methanol are ingested as part of a normal diet.3 It is the effects of the metabolites of methanol which can be toxic and sometimes fatal. Because this process of metabolising methanol can take some time, it may be up to 24 hours after ingesting methanol before any symptoms become apparent4. This has been highlighted in the scenario …show more content…
In the case of Amareen this was shown through the blood test and arterial pH were taken. Both results showed a low serum bicarbonate concentration and the arterial pH results showed a normal blood carbon dioxide concentration, these are indicative of metabolic acidosis8. In a compensatory mechanism to reduce the effects of the acidosis the respiratory system will increase ventilation, thus leading to a greater expulsion of carbon dioxide, and a lower concentration in the plasma. This in turns causes the bicarbonate buffer system to shift to the right which reduces the hydrogen ion concentration in the blood. This increase in breathing rate is tachypnea and was displayed in Amareen when she first presented to intensive care. Once this mechanism has peaked and the increase in breathing rate is no longer able to compensate for the increase in hydrogen ions, the renal compensatory mechanisms will begin to take effect. Whereby the kidney would remove excess hydrogen ions and reabsorb …show more content…
A raise in osmolal gap is suggestive of an abnormal solute being present in a clinically significant quantity11. Methanol ingestion can have a significant effect on the osmolal gap and a small amount of it can raise the gap substantially. However formate is charged and does not contribute much to the osmolal gap as sodium is able to electrically balance the formate7. Amareen also presented with a high anion gap in the later stages. The anion gap is a measure of the difference between the total of chloride and bicarbonate concentration subtracted from the sodium and potassium ion concentration8. At the initial stages of methanol poisoning there will not be a significant anion gap, however as methanol is metabolised and bicarbonate concentration falls, the anion gap will begin to

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