[Acute alcohol intoxication in children. Diagnosis, treatment and complications]

The purpose of this review is to describe the diagnosis, emergency treatment and further observation and complications. Alcohol poisoning and complications are underdiagnosed problems. Intoxication in young children is accidental and due to lack of experience in older children. Strong spirits are usually involved. The speed of elimination is greater than in adults and presumably 3-8 mmol/l/h. Fatal cases with alcohol concentrations less than 3.0% have been reported. The lethal dose is presumably 3 g/kg. Symptoms are as in adults but appear at lower concentrations. Infants do not reach a stage of exitation. Children are more prone to develop complications such as hypothermia, acidosis, electrolyte disturbance and trauma. Hypoglycaemia develops in 24-50% of cases, more frequently in infants and after starvation. The treatment is aspiration, admission to hospital, close observation, determination of core temperature, alcohol concentration, blood glucose-concentration and determination of serum-electrolytes. Blood glucose should be monitored. Treatment is conservative but severely intoxicated children may require dialysis.