Abstract

Disulfiram is a drug used for treating chronic alcoholism. The disulfiram-ethanol reaction is a result of increased blood levels of acetaldehyde, which is the product of alcohol dehydrogenase induced ethanol oxidation in the liver. Acetaldehyde is a toxin, which is broken down by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to acetic acid, which is then eliminated from the body. Disulfiram inhibits the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, therefore causing the increased concentration of blood acetaldehyde after ethanol consumption, which results in ill effects of ethanol, nausea and vertigo. We are presenting a case of a 31 year-old patient who was treated with disulfiram for chronic alcohol abuse. Half an hour before being admitted for examination at the Emergency Medical Aid Department he had ingested a large quantity of alcohol. Upon examination, based on the following symptoms: agitation, tachycardia, hypotension, skin erythema with hives, the diagnosis of disulfiram reaction was made. He was referred and transported to the University Clinical Center Banja Luka for further evaluation and observation. During transport, he was treated with oxygen, i.v. fluids, corticosteroids and analgesics. He was attached to a ECG monitor. Emergency Medical Aid doctors must be educated to recognize and initially treat patients with disulfiram reaction.

Highlights

  • Reakcija na relaciji disulfiram-etanol nastaje kao posljedica povišenih vrijednosti serumskog acetaldehida, koji nastaje kao proizvod metabolizma etanola u jetri oksidisanog od strane alkoholne dehidrogenaze, a u daljem toku, aldehidna dehidrogenaza oksidiše acetaldehid do acetata koji se eliminiše iz organizma

  • Uvod Disulfiram (tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD) je lijek koji se koristi kao pomoć u toku terapije hroničnog alkoholizma i odvikavanje od alkohola

  • U tom cilju, neophodna je edukacija ljekara u SHMP o poznavanju efekata kombinovanja alkohola sa disulfiramom, ali i u kombinaciji sa drugim lijekovima, kao osnovni preduslov za uspješno liječenje i sprečavanje komplikacija

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Summary

Introduction

Disulfiram je lijek koji se koristi u terapiji odvikavanja od alkohola. Reakcija na relaciji disulfiram-etanol nastaje kao posljedica povišenih vrijednosti serumskog acetaldehida, koji nastaje kao proizvod metabolizma etanola u jetri oksidisanog od strane alkoholne dehidrogenaze, a u daljem toku, aldehidna dehidrogenaza oksidiše acetaldehid do acetata koji se eliminiše iz organizma. Disulfiram blokira ovaj enzim te izaziva porast koncentracije acetaldehida u serumu, nakon konzumiranja etanola, te se u tom slučaju javlja odbojnost prema alkoholu zbog posljedične mučnine, vrtoglavice i nagona za povraćanjem.

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