[In France, is acute alcoholic intoxication in adults a metabolic emergency?]

Some biological data of 63 acute alcoholic poisoning (without drug ingestion) in adults were studied during a brief hospitalization. Mean arterial blood concentration of lactate was 2,34 mmol/l +/- 0,13, of ethanol was 53 +/- 3,68 mmol/l. No correlation was found between these two variables and we have not registered lactic acidosis. Arterial blood acid base balance was normal for 24 of 38 unconscious patients. The results of other fourteen showed moderate acidosis, either mixed or respiratory either metabolic, without hypoglycemia or ketonuria. No correlation between arterial blood ions H+ concentration (44,72 +/- 1,18 nmol/l (m +/- sem) and concomitant arterial blood ethanol concentration was found. Moreover, no correlation between 46 blood glucose concentrations (without prior glucose perfusion) and alcoholemia was found. Only two 18 hours fasting chronic alcoholics showed hypoglycemia. These results confirm that acute ethanol intoxication is a potential respiratory emergency in adults, and not a metabolic one (this last pattern being true for children). No confusion between acute intoxication and alcoholic ketoacidosis, alcohol induced fasting hypoglycemia or shoshin beriberi must be made.