Brief overview
- What to do in case of alcohol poisoning? Provide first aid: make the affected person drink plenty of water if he or she is conscious, keep him or her in a soft and stable position, keep him or her warm, check breathing regularly. Unconscious patients: place in the recovery position, warm, call emergency medical services.
- Alcohol poisoning – risks: Chilling, organ damage/failure, respiratory and/or cardiovascular arrest.
- What does the doctor do? Depending on the severity of the alcohol intoxication, administer fluids by infusion, monitor vital functions (heartbeat, breathing, etc.), dialysis or ventilation if necessary.
Caution.
- In small doses, alcohol only selectively affects the brain regions that control our emotions. In higher doses, however, it paralyzes the entire central nervous system.
Alcohol poisoning: symptoms
There are smooth transitions between a mild buzz and tangible alcohol poisoning. The symptoms that occur change with increasing alcohol consumption – faster in some people, slower in others (see below: Causes and risk factors):
A mild alcohol intoxication (“buzz”) often feels pleasant, at least initially. The head is light, you feel loose, a warm feeling spreads through the body.
Problems with orientation and a reduced ability to react also accompany the increasing alcohol intoxication. Nausea and even vomiting soon set in.
As alcohol intoxication progresses, these symptoms appear:
- Disturbances of the thinking functions
- Disturbance of perception (e.g. reduced sensation of cold)
- Disturbances of consciousness (the affected person is no longer responsive, perceives everything only through a veil)
The drunk person may eventually become unconscious and even fall into a coma (alcoholic coma). Then it can come to the respiratory arrest! Danger of life exists in addition, because with heavy alcohol poisoning protection reflexes fail like the cough reflex. Vomit can then enter the respiratory tract – there is a danger of suffocation!
You don’t just feel bad during the intoxication, but usually afterwards as well. For example, in alcohol intoxication, symptoms afterwards can include headache, nausea, and a general feeling of weakness.
Stages of alcohol poisoning
Medical professionals distinguish the following stages of alcohol intoxication:
- Excitation stage (1 – 2 per mille in blood): low drunkenness, slight gait disturbance, feeling of relaxedness, carelessness and disinhibition, talkativeness, overestimation of oneself, imprecise reactions, etc.
- Hypnosis stage (2 – 2.5 per mille): The drunk tends to sleep, but can still be awakened. In addition, severe disturbances of balance when walking, slowed perception, slowed thinking, clear and often aggressive mood, etc.
- Asphyxia stage (> 4 per mille in blood): Circulatory and/or respiratory disturbances, rapid chilling in the cold (risk of frostbite), possible death.
Alcohol poisoning: What to do?
There are no home remedies or any antidote at all against alcohol or alcohol intoxication. Fresh air, a cold shower or a pain stimulus (e.g. juicy slap in the face) can make the affected person appear more awake again for a short time. However, such measures have no influence on the effect of the alcohol.
If you suspect alcohol poisoning in someone or see signs of it, initiate first aid measures instead:
Further first aid steps for alcohol intoxication depend on whether the person is conscious or not:
Drunk person conscious:
- Stop alcohol consumption: make sure the drunk person does not drink any more alcohol.
- Vomiting: Some intoxicated persons may vomit. This carries residual amounts of alcohol out of the stomach. Stand by the person during this process. It is not advisable to induce vomiting deliberately: For example, the mucous membrane in the stomach or esophagus may tear or the contents of the stomach may be inhaled (aspiration, danger especially if consciousness is clouded).
- Plenty of water: If the patient can keep liquids down, you should give him plenty of water to drink.
In the case of mild alcohol intoxication, “treatment” at home is possible. In most cases, the intoxication can be “slept off” without medical intervention. Nevertheless, you should not leave the affected person alone for the duration of the intoxication symptoms.
Unconscious drunk:
- Prone position: If someone with severe alcohol intoxication is unconscious, you should immediately place him in the prone position with his head hyperextended. Open his mouth so vomit can drain and not enter the trachea.
- Warming: Alcohol virtually overrides the control mechanism for maintaining core body temperature. Therefore, keep the unconscious person warm (e.g., with a blanket).
- Resuscitation if necessary: Until rescue arrives, check regularly whether the unconscious person is still breathing. If breathing stops, you must start resuscitation immediately!
If drunk persons behave aggressively or in a way that endangers themselves, you should call the police without hesitation!
Alcohol poisoning: causes and risk factors
For example, people who consume alcohol frequently usually show fewer symptoms than those who drink alcohol rarely or hardly at all. People with a low body weight (such as children and adolescents) are more susceptible to alcohol poisoning. People with brain damage (such as from a medical condition) also have an increased risk of alcohol poisoning after drinking even very small amounts of alcohol.
What happens in the body
Danger from high-proof alcohol and binge drinking
Alcohol poisoning can occur particularly easily when someone drinks high-proof drinks (such as vodka). Even a relatively small number of glasses can contain large amounts of alcohol. By way of comparison, a bottle of vodka (750 ml) contains as much pure alcohol as six liters of beer.
Binge drinking, i.e. the consumption of large quantities of alcohol within a short period of time, is also dangerous. Binge drinking with high-proof alcohol in particular can quickly lead to alcohol poisoning. The liver then has to cope with a high dose of alcohol at once. The first mild signs of alcohol intoxication then usually fail to appear. Instead, severe intoxication sets in suddenly and directly.
First, the doctor tries to obtain important background information in a short conversation (anamnesis). If it is no longer possible to talk properly to the drunk person, the doctor turns to other people present (relatives, friends, etc.) for this.
This is followed by a physical examination. This allows the doctor to assess the severity of the alcohol intoxication.
He then measures the blood sugar level of the person affected. Diabetics in particular, whose blood sugar levels are too low, may experience symptoms similar to those of alcohol intoxication.
Blood values and drug screening
Since the person affected may also have taken other drugs, knowingly or unknowingly, the doctor also carries out a so-called “drug screening”. For the therapy, it is important to know whether other substances have caused the intoxication or intensified the symptoms.
What the doctor must also take into account: In some cases, the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome resemble those of alcohol intoxication.
Alcohol intoxication: treatment by the doctor
In the case of alcohol intoxication, the doctor will try to relieve the symptoms and prevent complications. In addition, the patient must not have the possibility of endangering himself or others. In individual cases, treatment is based on the type and extent of the symptoms of alcohol intoxication.
If the drunk is very agitated or aggressive, the doctor usually administers a calming drug. In exceptional cases, affected persons are restrained for their own protection.
Alcohol poisoning with toxic alcohols such as methanol or isopropanol must usually be treated by the doctor with medication.
Alcohol poisoning: consequences
Usually, mild alcohol poisoning heals without consequences. However, repeated or severe alcohol intoxications can lead to damage to the brain, liver and kidneys. In particularly severe cases, alcohol poisoning is fatal.
Pregnant women should absolutely avoid all alcohol (even in small amounts), as it can profoundly disrupt the development of the child.
