The outbreak of methanol intoxication during COVID-19 pandemic: prevalence of brain lesions and its predisposing factors

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, methanol-containing beverages’ consumption has risen because people mistakenly believed that alcohol might protect them against the virus. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predisposing factors of brain lesions in patients with methanol toxicity and its outcome. A total of 516 patients with confirmed methanol poisoning were enrolled in this retrospective study, of which 40 patients underwent spiral brain computed tomography (CT) scan. The presence of unilateral or bilateral brain necrosis was significantly higher in the non-survival group (p = 0.001). Also, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and brain edema were prevalent among patients that subsequently died (p = 0.004 and p = 0.002, respectively). Lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was related to a higher mortality rate (p = 0.001). The mortality rate in chronic alcohol consumption was lower than the patients who drank alcohol for the first time (p = 0.014). In conclusion, increasing the number of methanol poisoning and its associated mortality and morbidity should be considered a threat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords:

• Methanol toxicity
• brain lesions
• intracerebral hemorrhage
• putaminal necrosis
• COVID-19 pandemic

Acknowledgements

We thank the Clinical Research Development Unit (CRDU) of Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran for their support, cooperation and assistance throughout the period of study (Grant Number: 24244).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).