A Methanol Intoxication Outbreak From Recreational Ingestion of Fracking Fluid

Am J Kidney Dis. 2017 May;69(5):696-700. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2016.10.029. Epub 2017 Jan 19.

Abstract

Single-patient methanol intoxications are a common clinical presentation, but outbreaks are rare and usually occur in settings in which there is limited access to ethanol and methanol is consumed as a substitute. In this case report, we describe an outbreak of methanol intoxications that was challenging from a public health perspective and discuss strategies for managing such an outbreak.

Keywords: Methanol; alcohol dehydrogenase inhibition; case reports; contact tracing; folinic acid; fomepizole; hemodialysis; intoxication; outbreak; poisoning; public health; remote medicine; toxic alcohol ingestion.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acid-Base Equilibrium
  • Acidosis / chemically induced
  • Acidosis / epidemiology*
  • Acidosis / therapy
  • Adult
  • Antidotes / therapeutic use
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Eating
  • Fomepizole
  • Humans
  • Hydraulic Fracking
  • Leucovorin / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Manitoba / epidemiology
  • Methanol / poisoning*
  • Middle Aged
  • Nausea / chemically induced
  • Nausea / epidemiology
  • Poisoning / epidemiology*
  • Poisoning / therapy
  • Pyrazoles / therapeutic use
  • Renal Dialysis
  • Sodium Bicarbonate / therapeutic use
  • Solvents / poisoning*
  • Vomiting / chemically induced
  • Vomiting / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antidotes
  • Pyrazoles
  • Solvents
  • Fomepizole
  • Sodium Bicarbonate
  • Leucovorin
  • Methanol