ethanol

Introduction. 15-30% of idiopathic atrial fibrillations are related to alcohol abuse. The pathological pathways might be oxidative stress, disorder of calcium metabolism, cardiac conduction interfer­ence as well as acetaldehyde which in­creases systemic and intra-myocardial catecholamines. Acetaldehyde acts mostly in sobering up phase.

Aim. To evaluate a risk to die in so­bering up phase when ethanol concentra­tion is higher in urine than in blood in pa­tients with ischemic heart disease.