Acid-base balance in alcohol users seen in an emergency room

Over 10% of emergency room patients are diagnosed as having alcohol (6.0%) or drug intoxication. In the present study 196 alcohol intoxications treated in a hospital were studied retrospectively; 49.2% of the patients had abnormal acid-base values, alcoholics more often than non-alcoholics (p = 0.04). Mean blood ethanol concentration (BAC) was 310 mg/dl (SD 120); alcoholics had higher concentrations of alcohol. BAC was the higher the lower the serum pH was (p less than 0.002, r = -0.45). The deeper the coma the lower the serum pH (p less than 0.05) and the higher the BAC (p less than 0.0001). Respiratory acidosis (31.7%) was an important finding in those intoxicated. Metabolic acidosis (7.9%) could be explained by the presence metabolites of ethanol in the serum and by decreased extra-cellular fluid volume. Metabolic alkalosis related to vomiting and an extra-cellular fluid volume decrease was found in 7.9% of the patients. Respiratory alkalosis was a rare finding (1.6%). Hypokalemia (22.5%) and hypernatremia (15.3%) were the most important electrolyte changes. Chronic alcoholics had lower serum potassium than had non-alcoholics; 3.6% (n = 7) of the patients had to be intubated. Acid-base disturbances were frequent in adults with alcohol intoxication. Serum pH correlated well with the state of consciousness and the BAC.