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Alcohol Intoxication or Medical Issue?

Alcohol, trauma, or underlying medical condition? The legal limit of blood alcohol content is set by the US Department of Motor Vehicles at 0.08%. However, not everyone presents the same way clinically, as different individuals have different tolerance levels depending on their level of regular alcohol use. Even the liver eliminates alcohol from the body Read More...

Auto Brewery Syndrome

What is ABS? Auto brewery syndrome is a rare condition in which the gastrointestinal system produces ethanol through fermentation by fungi or bacteria in the gut. Normal digestion does produce some ethanol, but this process can become pathologic, producing so much that blood alcohol levels are detected. People with ABS can exhibit signs and symptoms Read More...

The Danger of Microsleep

What is a Microsleep? Have you ever been sitting in front of your computer and dozed off for a brief second, only to be jerked awake by a head-snap? If so, you have experienced a microsleep. These episodes are defined by brief periods of sleep and loss of attention. They can last from a split Read More...

Are alcoholics really at fault for their crimes?

In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One such etiology is Wernicke encephalopathy. What is encephalopathy? Encephalopathy is a general term describing any disease of the brain that alters the function or structure of the brain. There are many types of encephalopathy and causes.  The Read More...

Involuntary Intoxication when mixing Cocaine and Alcohol…? {MH/Tox}

What if someone knows how cocaine affects them, and they know how alcohol affects them, but not how they can affect them when taken together? The use of both cocaine and alcohol together results in a unique metabolite called cocaethylene. This metabolite stays in the system longer and prevents the reuptake of dopamine resulting in Read More...