Related Experiment Videos
Acute ethanol intoxication and endotoxemia after trauma
G E Woodman1, T C Fabian, M A Croce
1Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee, Memphis, USA.
The Journal of Trauma
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Acute alcohol (ethanol) intoxication impacts trauma recovery and immune response. Oral ethanol showed a more favorable effect on host defense compared to intravenous administration after trauma and endotoxin challenge.
Area of Science:
- Trauma and Injury
- Toxicology
- Immunology
Background:
- Acute alcohol intoxication can significantly influence the body's response to traumatic injury.
- Understanding the effects of different ethanol administration routes on trauma pathophysiology is crucial for clinical management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of acute ethanol (EtOH) intoxication via intravenous (IV) and oral (PO) routes on pathophysiologic responses to trauma and hemorrhage.
- To assess the impact of ethanol administration on host defense mechanisms following trauma and endotoxin challenge.
Main Methods:
- Mongrel pigs received IV or PO ethanol, or lactated Ringer's (LR) vehicle, followed by soft tissue injury, hemorrhage, and shock.
- After resuscitation, host defense was challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli.
- Physiological parameters, acid-base balance, immune cell counts, and inflammatory markers were monitored.
Main Results:
- Both IV and PO ethanol groups exhibited posttraumatic acidosis, unlike the LR group.
- LPS challenge revealed blunted pulmonary responses in the PO group and potentiated responses in the IV group compared to LR.
- Ethanol caused neutropenia; IV ethanol led to higher T4 lymphocytes and cortisol levels post-trauma compared to PO or LR.
Conclusions:
- Ethanol absorption is impaired during trauma due to reduced gut blood flow.
- Acute ethanol intoxication alters immune cell profiles and inflammatory responses, affecting host defense against superimposed challenges like LPS.
- Oral ethanol administration may offer a more favorable outcome regarding endotoxemia response post-trauma compared to IV administration, potentially due to different blood ethanol kinetics.