Determination of formic acid tissue and fluid concentrations in three fatalities due to methanol poisoning.
Three fatalities caused by methanol ingestion are reported. Admission blood methanol concentrations ranged from 0.28 to 4.6 g/L. Two patients had been admitted after a significant delay (>20 hours), and one patient was observed within 90 minutes following ingestion. Formic acid levels were determined in blood samples at admission and ranged from 302 to 680 mg/L. The patients died 44, 55, and 82 hours after poisoning. Formic acid determinations in postmortem tissues were performed by a gas chromatograph method. The authors found great variability in formic acid distribution among the patients and among organs.
Hantson
P
P
Department of Intensive Care, Cliniques St-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. hantson@rean.ucl.ac.be
Haufroid
V
V
Mahieu
P
P
D000138:Acidosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005561:Formates / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol / Q000506:poisoning*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000139:chemically induced; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000139:chemically induced; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013405:Suicide; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D005561:Formates; C030544:formic acid; D000431:Ethanol; D000432:Methanol