Guidelines

What is fomepizole an antidote for?

What is fomepizole an antidote for?

Antizol (fomepizole) is an antidote used to treat poisoning with ethylene glycol (antifreeze) or methanol (contained in solvents, fuels, and other household or automotive chemicals). Antizol is sometimes used together with hemodialysis to rid the body of a poison.

What kind of inhibitor is fomepizole?

Fomepizole, a potent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) inhibitor, is an efficient and safe antidote that prevents or reduces toxic EG and methanol metabolism. Although no study has compared its efficacy with ethanol, fomepizole is recommended as a first-line antidote.

When should I stop taking fomepizole?

Criteria for stopping fomepizole (one of the following):

  1. concentration of methanol or ethylene glycol is undetectable.
  2. concentration of methanol is below 3.2 mmol/L or ethylene glycol is below 6.2 mmol/L AND the patient is asymptomatic with a normal pH.

How does methanol poisoning occur?

Methanol poisoning most commonly occurs following the drinking of windshield washer fluid. This may be accidental or as part of an attempted suicide. Toxicity may also rarely occur through extensive skin exposure or breathing in fumes.

How much does fomepizole cost?

The cost for fomepizole intravenous solution (1 g/mL) is around $872 for a supply of 1.5 milliliters, depending on the pharmacy you visit. Prices are for cash paying customers only and are not valid with insurance plans.

What are the side effects of methanol poisoning?

Initial adverse health effects due to methanol poisoning include drowsiness, a reduced level of consciousness (CNS depression), confusion, headache, dizziness, and the inability to coordinate muscle movement (ataxia).

Is fomepizole expensive?

What are the side effects of methanol?

Ingestion of methanol may cause a wide range of adverse health effects: Neurological: headache, dizziness, agitation, acute mania, amnesia, decreased level of consciousness including coma, and seizure.

Is diethylene glycol toxic?

Toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, altered mental status, and acute kidney injury [8,12]. Acute kidney injury is usually the main cause of death, appearing between 8 and 24 hours after exposure to lethal doses of diethylene glycol [8].