Methanol poisoning in Turkey: Two outbreaks, a single center experience

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Clinical Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Methanol poisoning presents diagnostic challenges and often results in delayed hospital admissions, contributing to significant mortality.
• Understanding the clinical and epidemiological factors of methanol poisoning is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the epidemiological data, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment protocols, and prognosis of patients admitted to a tertiary hospital during two methanol poisoning outbreaks.
• To identify key indicators of poor outcomes and assess the effectiveness of specific treatments like folate therapy.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective observational case series study was conducted.
• Data from 67 adult patients diagnosed with methanol poisoning between September 2016 and September 2019 were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Of 67 patients, 52.2% recovered without sequelae, 20.9% had sequelae (visual or CNS), and 26.9% died.
• Poor outcomes were associated with high anion gap metabolic acidosis, low Glasgow Coma Score, and elevated lactate levels.
• Folate therapy showed a significant reduction in mortality (p=0.041) but not in preventing visual sequelae.

Conclusions:

• Consciousness state and metabolic acidosis severity are significant predictors of mortality in methanol poisoning.
• Folate therapy, alongside standard antidote and elimination treatments, is recommended for patients with significant methanol exposure due to its potential to reduce mortality with minimal adverse events.