Abstract
Methanol and ethylene glycol (EG) poisonings share many characteristics, both clinically and biochemically. Both alcohols are metabolized via alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to their toxic metabolites. The treatment traditionally consists of alkali to combat metabolic acidosis, ethanol to inhibit production of toxic metabolites and hemodialysis to remove the alcohols and their toxic metabolites. Though ethanol is an effective and available antimetabolite for these intoxications, its use is labor intensive and hampered by dosage problems, a relatively rapid elimination (especially during hemodialysis), and side effects like significant CNS-denression in these often critically ill Patients.