Methanol poisoning and long term sequelae - a six years follow-up after a large methanol outbreak.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mass poisonings with methanol are rare but occur regularly both in developed and in developing countries. Data from the poisoning episodes are often published, but follow-up-data is scarce. We therefore conducted a six year follow-up study after the large methanol outbreak in Estonia in September 2001.

Methods

Surviving victims from the outbreak were contacted and invited to an interview and a clinical evaluation by an ophthalmologist and a physician. The patients that failed to respond were searched for in the Estonian Register of Population and through their General Practitioner.

Results

During the outbreak in 2001, 86/111 hospitalized patients survived: 66 without sequelae (Group I) and 20 with sequelae (Group II). Six years later, 26/86 were dead, 33/86

SUBMITTER: Paasma R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2667428 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature