title: Accidental acute alcohol intoxication in infants: review and case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute alcohol intoxication in children younger than 18 months old is both rarely documented and rarely fatal. Previous case reports suggest hypoglycemia and faster than normal rates of alcohol elimination found in children with acute alcohol intoxication compared with adults, but data are lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 2-month-old infant presented with a decreased mental status after accidental ingestion of alcohol. He was diagnosed with acute alcohol intoxication, with a blood alcohol level of 330 mg/dL and was hyperglycemic (167 mg/dL). Alcohol elimination rate was calculated to be 21.6 mg/dL/h, similar to that in adults. To our knowledge, this case is the second youngest documented patient with accidental alcohol intoxication via ingestion in the United States. We present a rare case report of acute alcohol intoxication in an infant and a review of the literature. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Although rare in the literature, poison control data suggests that alcohol poisoning in very young children is not rare. Emergency physicians should be prepared for the management of infants with alcohol poisoning. This case report and review brings attention to this subject and briefly discusses ethanol metabolism in infants.
authors.affiliation: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton, California.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minera
authors.affiliation: Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D035583:Rare Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: accidental alcohol poisoning; acute alcohol intoxication; infant alcohol poisoning