Other alcohols and related compounds

AuthorJames G. Wigmore
Pages143-153
143

Other Alcohols and Related Compounds
The other common alcohols such as isopropyl (rubbing) or methyl
(wood) alcohol are covered brief‌ly in this chapter. In addition, the major
metabolite of ethyl alcohol (acetaldehyde) as well as acetone (ACT) and
ethylene glycol (EG) are included.
8.01 ACETALDEHYDE
Acetaldehyde is readily formed in vitro from a lcohol in whole blood sam-
ples (). Elevated blood acetaldehyde concentrations can result from
the consumption of alcohol and the use of disulf‌ira m (Antabuse) or cal-
cium carbimide (CC) as the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid is
inhi bited (–).
CHCHOH → CHCHO CHCOOH → CO + HO
A fatal case of disulf‌iram-alcohol interaction has been reported
(). The consumption of inky cap mushrooms also causes a di-
sulf‌iram ef‌fect (). The variation in enzymatic metabolism of alco-
hol — higher blood acetaldehyde concentrations occur in many Asian
people — has been found to cause a reduction in alcohol consumption
similar to the disulf‌iram ef‌fect (). Some symptoms caused by ele-
vated blood acetaldehyde concentrations are the following:
Pronounced f‌lushing of face and body
Increase in hea rt rate
Palpitations
Decrea se in blood pressure

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