AB098. SOH24AB_117. Toxic alcohol ingestion results in significant hypocarbia & low bicarbonate levels

Background: A 43-year-old female presented to our emergency department with abdominal discomfort, hypotension, and confusion. Her recent history was significant for alcohol intake and travel back from Lithuania. Her initial arterial blood gas exhibited a metabolic acidosis with an increased anion gap. Some of its results were markedly abnormal: a bicarbonate level less than 3 mmol/L (milli mol per litre) (normal: 25–35 mmol/L) and a partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) less than 2 KPa (kilo pascal) (normal: 4.5–6 KPa).