[Alcoholic coma by accidental poisoning in children]

Among comas of toxic origin, in children, alcoholic coma due to accidental poisoning is uncommon compared with comas due to drugs or household products. It is however important to make an early diagnosis, for this is a severe from of poisoning, liable to cause irreversible cerebral lesions if not treated very quickly. It almost always causes a flask coma, without localising signs, hypothermia and hypoglycemia, but hypoglycemic comas are not always of alcoholic origin, and only measurement of blood alcohol gives a definite diagnosis.