ECG changes in patients with acute ethanol intoxication

Objectives. To assess how ethanol in potential lethal serum concentrations affects features of the ECG that may be associated with cardiac arrhythmias. Design. We included 84 patients, who were hospitalised with assumed acute ethanol intoxication. In the emergency room resting ECG was recorded and blood was collected for serum osmolality measurement used as a proxy for ethanol level. Thirty-two also had ECG recorded at discharge. Twenty-seven hospitalised patients without known alcohol ingestion served as controls. ECG segment durations were compared with controls and related to intoxication level. Results. In subjects with moderately elevated to high serum osmolality, the P wave and QTc intervals were prolonged compared with sober subjects. P wave, PR, QRS and QTc intervals were longer when the subjects had high blood ethanol levels (at admission) than at discharge (p-values: 0.0001, 0.0002, 0.010 and < 0.0001 for P wave, PR, QRS and QTc intervals. n = 32). Conclusions. Ethanol at high to very high blood concentration causes several changes in the ECG that might be associated with increased risk of arrhythmias.