Patocka Jirí, Hon Zdenek
University of South Bohemia, Ceské Budejovice, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Department of Radiology and Toxicology, Czech Republic.
Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove). 2010;53(1):19-23.
Ethylene glycol is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting but poisonous type of alcohol found in many household products. The major use of ethylene glycol is as an antifreeze in, for example, automobiles, in air conditioning systems, in de-icing fluid for windshields, and else. People sometimes drink ethylene glycol mistakenly or on purpose as a substitute for alcohol. Ethylene glycol is toxic, and its drinking should be considered a medical emergency. The major danger from ethylene glycol is following ingestion. Due to its sweet taste, peoples and occasionally animals will sometimes consume large quantities of it if given access to antifreeze. While ethylene glycol itself has a relatively low degree of toxicity, its metabolites are responsible for extensive cellular damage to various tissues, especially the kidneys. This injury is caused by the metabolites, glycolic and oxalic acid and their respective salts, through crystal formation and possibly other mechanisms. Toxic metabolites of ethylene glycol can damage the brain, liver, kidneys, and lungs. The poisoning causes disturbances in the metabolism pathways, including metabolic acidosis. The disturbances may be severe enough to cause profound shock, organ failure, and death. Ethylene glycol is a common poisoning requiring antidotal treatment.
乙二醇是一种无色、无味、有甜味但有毒的醇类，存在于许多家用产品中。乙二醇的主要用途是作为防冻剂，例如用于汽车、空调系统、挡风玻璃除冰液等。人们有时会误饮或故意饮用乙二醇来替代酒精。乙二醇有毒，饮用乙二醇应被视为医疗紧急情况。乙二醇的主要危险在于摄入后。由于其甜味，如果有机会接触到防冻液，人和偶尔的动物有时会大量饮用。虽然乙二醇本身的毒性相对较低，但其代谢产物会对各种组织，尤其是肾脏造成广泛的细胞损伤。这种损伤是由代谢产物乙醇酸和草酸及其各自的盐类通过晶体形成以及可能的其他机制引起的。乙二醇的有毒代谢产物会损害大脑、肝脏、肾脏和肺部。中毒会导致代谢途径紊乱，包括代谢性酸中毒。这些紊乱可能严重到足以引起深度休克、器官衰竭和死亡。乙二醇中毒是一种常见的中毒情况，需要解毒治疗。
