Ethanol is given in methyl alcohol poisoning because:: (A) It inhibit alcohol dehydrogenase, (B) It inhibit aldehyde synthetase, (C) It binds 100 times stronger than methanol, (D) None
Answer is A. Ethanol is preferentially metabolised by alcohol dehydrogenase over methanol.At a concenteration 100mg/DL in blood it saturates alcohol dehydrogenase over methanol &retads methanol metabolism. This reduces formation of formaldehyde & formic acid. Ref KD Tripathi 8th ed.