[Ethylene glycol intoxication. Important differential diagnosis in comatose patients with metabolic acidosis].

Ethylene glycol is an alcohol, which is mainly used as antifreeze. Intoxication with ethylene glycol can cause neurological and cardiopulmonary symptoms, metabolic acidosis and acute renal failure. Therapeutic options include reversal of metabolic acidosis, inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase and early hemodialysis. In survivors of the acute phase, lasting damage is rare. The case of a 49-year-old patient with ethylene glycol intoxication is reported which was characterized by progressive impairment of consciousness, tetraparesis, hyperventilation and metabolic acidosis.