Metabolic impairment and recovery time in acute ethanol intoxication.

Abstract

Fifty-six male alcoholic patients were admitted to the Metabolic Research Unit following prolonged intoxication. Seventeen patients were maintained on a normal protein diet and ethanol. Thirty-nine patients were placed on a normal diet without ethanol. Serial determinations of hemoglobin, platelets, serum transaminases, and uric acid were obtained at admission and once weekly thereafter. On 17 patients daily determinations of urine nitrogen excretion were obtained and in 31 patients 72-hour collections of stool were obtained for nitrogen and fat. The data show that there is a high incidence of metabolic abnormalities, and recovery, as measured by these tests, is delayed from 1 to 4 weeks. Improvement in dietary intake, rather than the complete withdrawal from ethanol, appeared to be more important in the recovery of normal nitrogen balance, body weight, stool fat, thrombocytopenia, and serum transaminases. The continuous administration of 256 gm of ethanol, however, delayed the recovery of anemia and hyperuricemia in some patients. The data show that, following prolonged intoxication, at least 2 weeks of detoxification are required for most metabolic functions to return to normal.