title: Determination of formic acid tissue and fluid concentrations in three fatalities due to methanol poisoning.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Intensive Care, Cliniques St-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. hantson@rean.ucl.ac.be
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Hantson
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Haufroid
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Mahieu
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D005561:Formates; C030544:formic acid; D000431:Ethanol; D000432:Methanol