Methanol Intoxication: The Importance of Early Diagnosis

Methanol intoxication is an unfrequented condition associated with high morbidity that can cause severe metabolic disturbances, blindness, and important neurological dysfunction potentially life-threatening. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment is required to obtain the best possible result for the patient. Recently, an increase in cases of methanol intoxication has been observed in our environment (50% in the last year) and in our hospital, as in most of them, specific analysis techniques for methanol are not available. That is why in this article we present four recent clinical cases that occurred in our hospital: to analyze the most relevant information derived from the management of these patients and their clinical and laboratory data. Our objective is to develop a valid strategy in order to facilitate obtaining an early diagnosis sometimes difficult to achieve. Due to the potential mortality of this poisoning and the existence of treatment, it is important to recognize methanol intoxication immediately. After analyzing the exposed clinical cases, the results indicated that a high index of suspicion and the presence of metabolic acidosis associated with an elevated anion gap and osmol gap are characteristic findings that allow an early diagnosis. The relationship between the clinician and the analyst has also been fundamental in incorporating these tests into the profile of the intoxicated patient, which has resulted in better patient management and rapid introduction of specific treatment.