Clinical Chemistry - Ethanol

Ethyl alcohol is present in some drinks, liquors, medicinal preparations and foods. After ethyl alcohol ingestion, the alcohol quickly spreads though the whole body and is mostly metabolized in the liver and excreted. Ethyl alcohol acts as a Central Nervous System depressant, and can lead to loss of alertness, stupor, coma and death and frequently cause public safety issues. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy carries a heavy risk of permanent mental and physical defects in the child, known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Ethyl alcohol measurements are also used in diagnosis and treatment of alcohol intoxication and poisoning.