Ethanol Toxicity

Excerpt

Ethanol toxicity results from the ingestion of ethanol, usually in large quantities. This can occur from the ingestion of beverage ethanol, commonly known as alcohol, and non-beverage ethanol, present in substances such as mouthwash, cologne, and cough medicine. Alcohol is the most common form of ethanol and is a widely used and abused substance, mostly in Western culture, representing the oldest and most widely abused substance. The demographic most likely to present for acute alcohol intoxication are adolescents and young adults. Emergency departments see disproportionately more of these patients than in other settings.