A 17-year-old woman with a non-contributory medical history ingested 3dcl of vodka and was found
comatose. On arrival she was somnolent with
nausea, tympanic temperature 36.0 degrees C, pulse 70 counts/min, blood pressure 90/60 mmHg, respiratory rate 12 counts/min and SpO(2) 96% on room air. Her blood
ethanol level was 130 mg/dL; other blood laboratory test results were normal. ECG revealed sinus rhythm, first-degree
atrioventricular block with a PR interval of 0.32 seconds and intermittent second- and third-degree
atrioventricular blocks with up to 4-second-long pauses that appeared 15-30 seconds after each
vomiting. She was given
thiethylperazine and
vomiting resolved within an hour. ECG 12 hours after admission revealed a first-degree
atrioventricular block with a PR interval of 0.24 seconds. One month later Holter monitor showed a sinus rhythm and first-degree
atrioventricular block with a PR interval of 0.21 seconds. Vagal maneuvers did not provoke high-degree
atrioventricular block. The echocardiogram was normal.
CONCLUSION: