[Acute poisoning with ethylene glycol esters]

The study was performed of 13 acute oral poisonings with ethylene glycol ethers characterized as moderate or severe and resulting in poor outcome in 3 cases. Ethyl ether was responsible for 3 poisonings, methyl ether for 10 ones. It was found, that the intoxication had four stages or periods (initial, latent, clinical, recovery) and presented with CNS impairment, gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal disorders, decompensated metabolic acidosis, etc. The paper describes two clinical cases and experimental toxicity of cellosolves as well as the effect of the inhibitor of isovaleric acid amide alcohol dehydrogenase on animal lethality. The results obtained support the suggestion of ADH-participated metabolic activation of cellosolves in the body. The prospects of further studies into intoxication pathogenesis and new opportunities for relevant poisoning management are outlined.