[Surrogate alcohol poisonings].

Surrogate alcohols, i.e., methanol, ethylene glycol and isopropanol, still cause some dozens of deaths in Finland every year. Assessment of the severity of the intoxication is often hampered by the presence of ethanol. If ingestion of surrogate alcohol is suspected and the patient is diagnosed with metabolic acidosis, treatment should be initiated immediately, without waiting for the result of concentration analysis. Ethanol is commonly utilized as an antidote in Finland, whereas the use of a specific antidote, fomepizole, is slowly increasing. Reversal of acidosis and hemodialysis are also essential measures in the treatment of methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning.