A Novel and Simple Method for a Differentiation of Alcohol Types.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol poisoning is a significant global problem that has become an epidemic. The determination of the alcohol type is hereby essential as it may affect the course of the treatment; however, there is no routine laboratory diagnostic method for alcohol types other than for ethanol. In this study, we aimed to define a simple method for alcohol type differentiation by utilizing a combination of breathalyzer and spectrophotometrically measured serum ethanol results. METHODS: A breathalyzer and spectrophotometry were used to measure four different types of alcohol: ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, and ethylene glycol. To conduct serum alcohol analysis, four serum pools were created, each containing a different type of alcohol. The pools were analyzed using the spectrophotometric method with an enzymatic ethanol test kit. An experiment was conducted to measure the different types of alcohol using impreg-nated cotton and a balloon, simulating a breathalyzer test. An algorithm was created based on the measurements. RESULTS: Based on the results, the substance consumed could be methanol or isopropanol if the breathalyzer test indicates a positive reading and if the blood ethanol measurement is negative. If both the breathalyzer and the blood measurements are negative, the substance in question may be ethylene glycol. CONCLUSIONS: This simple method may determine methanol or isopropanol intake. This straightforward and innovative approach could assist healthcare professionals in different fields with diagnosing alcohol intoxication and, more precisely, help reducing related morbidity and mortality.

The Role of Lactate and Troponin-I Levels in Predicting Length of Hospital Stay in Patients with Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

BACKGROUND: Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most common causes of unintentional poisonings resulting in death. Patients with more severe findings such as loss of consciousness and persistent neurological or cardiovascular dysfunction require hospitalization. Although there are clinical findings which determine hospitalization criteria in patients presenting with CO poisoning, there is some ambiguity regarding laboratory biomarkers which determine length of hospital stay (LOS) in these patients. In this study, we aimed to identify the effectiveness of initial blood gases and biochemical parameters in predicting LOS in patients presenting to the emergency department with CO poisoning by retrospective analysis of medical records. METHODS: This study was conducted in the Emergency Department (ED) of Samsun Training and Research Hospital by analyzing from medical records retrospectively of 275 patients who were admitted to the hospital following acute CO poisoning between January 2014 and July 2017. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to LOS: Group I, patients with LOS < 24 hours; group II, those with LOS > 24 hours and < 3 days; and group III, those with LOS > 3 days. RESULTS: In comparisons regarding lactate and troponin-I, it was found that there were significant differences in both parameters among the three groups (p = 0.000) and that both lactate and troponin-I levels were higher in group III than groups I and II, with group I being lowest (group III > group II > group I). While there was a mod¬erate positive statistically significant correlation between LOS and lactate (r: 0.43, p = 0.001) and troponin (r: 0.31, p = 0.001), a weak positive correlation was determined with CK (r: 0.19, p = 0.04). In this study, it was found that lactate and troponin-I values were more effective in predicting LOS when compared to carboxyhemoglobin levels and other biochemical parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study may guide clinicians to predict LOS in patients who present with CO poi-soning and have high troponin-I and lactate levels at the time of admission to EDs.

The acute effects of interval exercise on oxidative stress and antioxidant status in volleyball players.

BACKGROUND: Volleyball is briefly described as an "interval" sport with both aerobic and anaerobic components. Exercise may influence antioxidant/prooxidant balance, which leads to differences in oxidative stress status between athletes in different sport disciplines, but the results of the previous studies are inconsistent. In this study, we aimed to determine the acute effects of exercise on oxidative stress parameters such as serum total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels in volleyball players. METHODS: Thirteen male volleyball players from the same team participated in this study. The volleyball game lasted approximately 95 minutes including warm-up and cool-down periods. Blood samples were taken before the warm-up and after the cool down. Serum TOS and TAS levels were measured. Oxidative stress index (OSI), a predictor of antioxidant/prooxidant balance (TOS/TAS), was also calculated. RESULTS: The following data were revealed as median: TOS 6.84 µmol H2O2 Eq/L (95% CI: 5.80-8.13) and 5.15 (95% CI: 4.20-6.02); TAS 1.96 mmol Trolox Eq/L (95% CI: 1.91-2.08) and 1.95 (95% CI: 1.86-2.00); and OSI indexes, 3.31 (arbitrary unit) (95% CI: 2.84-4.00) and 2.64 (95% CI: 2.26-3.18) before and after the match with respectively. Serum TOS and OSI levels were significantly lower after volleyball match when compared to before (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in serum TAS levels (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In individuals who exercise active sports, TOS level has been found to be decreased while TAS level has not been affected significantly after volleyball match. Our results suggested that volleyball training may not cause oxidative stress in these players. Regular physical exercise especially, volleyball training may provide adequate protection against exercise-induced oxidative stress.

Clinical Utility of Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the usefulness of thiol/disulfide homeostasis (TDH) in various diseases is being widely investigated. In this mini-review, our aim is to clarify the role of TDH in clinical practice in the light of current literature. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the existing literature describing the clinical utility of TDH in the clinical setting. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL were used as data sources. Two reviewers conducted independent screening and data extraction. Use of TDH in each system was investigated separately. RESULTS: A total of 35 studies were detected in this mini-review. Our results revealed the protective role of TDH and its utility as a diagnostic marker in many common diseases in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: Maintenance of TDH as a crucial part of antioxidant defense system is critical in diagnosis and prognosis of potentially lethal diseases.