BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuEthanol poisoningEthanol poisoning is caused by drinking too much of the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Ethanol Where Found Alcoholic beverages, including:Beer Gin Vodka Wine Whiskey Symptoms Symptoms may include:Abdominal pain Confusion, slurred speech Internal (stomach and intestinal) bleeding Slowed breathing Slowed breathingMost people take breathing for granted. People with certain illnesses may have breathing problems that they deal with on a regular basis. This arti...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Stupor (decreased level of alertness), even coma StuporDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Unsteady walking Unsteady walkingWalking abnormalities can be caused by many different types of problems. Problems with the joints, (such as arthritis), bones (such as deformities),...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Vomiting, sometimes bloodyVomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic alcohol overuse can lead to additional symptoms and multiple organ failure. Home Care If you can wake an adult who has had too much alcohol, move the person to a comfortable place to sleep off the effects. Make sure the person will not fall or get hurt.Place the person on their side in case they throw up (vomit). DO NOT make the person throw up unless told to do so by a health care professional or Poison Control.Check the person frequently to make sure their condition does not get worse.If the person is not alert (unconscious) or only somewhat alert (semi-conscious), emergency assistance may be needed. When in doubt, call for medical help. Before Calling Emergency The following information is helpful for emergency assistance:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the drinks consumed (ingredients and strengths if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed However, DO NOT delay calling for help if this information is not immediately available. Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The health care provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The person may receive:Airway support, including oxygen, breathing tube through the mouth (intubation),and ventilator (breathing machine) Blood and urine tests including a blood ethanol level Chest x-ray CT (computerized axial tomography) scan ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing) Fluids through the vein (intravenous or IV) Medicines to treat symptoms Outlook (Prognosis) Survival over 24 hours past the drinking binge usually means the person will recover. A withdrawal syndrome may develop as alcohol levels in the blood drop, so the person should be observed and kept safe for at least another 24 hours.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Ethanol (alcohol). In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:179-184.Lee JP. Acute alcohol and drug poisoning. In: Lee JP, ed. ICU Quick Drug Guide. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 18.Nelson ME. Toxic alcohols. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 136.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Review Date: 1/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. 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Ethanol poisoningEthanol poisoning is caused by drinking too much of the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. Poisonous Ingredient Ethanol Where Found Alcoholic beverages, including:Beer Gin Vodka Wine Whiskey Symptoms Symptoms may include:Abdominal pain Confusion, slurred speech Internal (stomach and intestinal) bleeding Slowed breathing Slowed breathingMost people take breathing for granted. People with certain illnesses may have breathing problems that they deal with on a regular basis. This arti...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Stupor (decreased level of alertness), even coma StuporDecreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Unsteady walking Unsteady walkingWalking abnormalities can be caused by many different types of problems. Problems with the joints, (such as arthritis), bones (such as deformities),...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Vomiting, sometimes bloodyVomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chronic alcohol overuse can lead to additional symptoms and multiple organ failure. Home Care If you can wake an adult who has had too much alcohol, move the person to a comfortable place to sleep off the effects. Make sure the person will not fall or get hurt.Place the person on their side in case they throw up (vomit). DO NOT make the person throw up unless told to do so by a health care professional or Poison Control.Check the person frequently to make sure their condition does not get worse.If the person is not alert (unconscious) or only somewhat alert (semi-conscious), emergency assistance may be needed. When in doubt, call for medical help. Before Calling Emergency The following information is helpful for emergency assistance:Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the drinks consumed (ingredients and strengths if known) Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed However, DO NOT delay calling for help if this information is not immediately available. Poison Control Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The health care provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The person may receive:Airway support, including oxygen, breathing tube through the mouth (intubation),and ventilator (breathing machine) Blood and urine tests including a blood ethanol level Chest x-ray CT (computerized axial tomography) scan ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing) Fluids through the vein (intravenous or IV) Medicines to treat symptoms Outlook (Prognosis) Survival over 24 hours past the drinking binge usually means the person will recover. A withdrawal syndrome may develop as alcohol levels in the blood drop, so the person should be observed and kept safe for at least another 24 hours.Open ReferencesReferencesAronson JK. Ethanol (alcohol). In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:179-184.Lee JP. Acute alcohol and drug poisoning. In: Lee JP, ed. ICU Quick Drug Guide. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 18.Nelson ME. Toxic alcohols. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 136.