Background: We describe a case of acute ethylene glycol poisoning following ingestion of antifreeze agent in which serum ethylene glycol and anion gap were serially measured. Patients: A 66-year old man was hospitalized after intentional ingestion of automotive antifreeze. Upon admission, vital signs, mental status, and neurological functions were normal. Initial laboratory tests revealed no se...

Poisoning is an uncommon but potentially fatal outcome of toxic alcohol ingestion. The toxic alcohols methanol, ethylene glycol and isopropyl alcohol are commonly found in household and commercial products. Because the toxic effects are caused by the metabolites of methanol and ethylene glycol rather than the agents themselves, there is often a substantial delay between ingestion and onset of c...