Alcohol intoxication

A temporary state of impaired judgment, coordination, and behavior caused by alcohol's effects on the brain and nervous system. Its severity depends on blood alcohol concentration, drinking rate, and individual factors.

Ethanol: The intoxicating alcohol in alcoholic beverages, a small molecule that readily enters the bloodstream. Ethanol is the substance whose concentration drives alcohol intoxication.
Alcohol poisoning: A life-threatening condition caused by a toxic amount of alcohol suppressing vital brain functions. It is the acute medical emergency at the severe end of intoxication.
Alcohol intoxication diagnosis: A clinical assessment of recent alcohol use and its effects on behavior, cognition, and physical function. Clinicians combine observed impairment with history and examination rather than relying on appearance alone.
Alcohol hangover: A collection of unpleasant physical and cognitive symptoms that follows an episode of drinking, often as alcohol levels fall. A hangover generally follows intoxication rather than describing impairment while alcohol is active.
Absorption of alcohol: The passage of consumed ethanol from the digestive tract into the bloodstream. Absorption rate helps determine how quickly intoxication develops after drinking.
Blood alcohol concentration: The amount of alcohol in a given volume of blood, commonly expressed as a percentage. It estimates systemic alcohol exposure, though impairment varies between individuals.
Alcohol-related traffic crashes: Road collisions in which alcohol impairment contributes to a driver's or road user's risk. Slowed reactions and impaired judgment make operating vehicles dangerous during intoxication.
Breathalyzer: A device that estimates blood alcohol concentration by measuring alcohol in exhaled breath. Breath testing provides a practical estimate of alcohol exposure during suspected impairment.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: A range of symptoms that can develop when prolonged heavy alcohol use is abruptly reduced or stopped. Withdrawal follows falling alcohol exposure in dependent people, unlike intoxication from recent consumption.
Alcohol distribution: The movement of ethanol through body water and tissues after it enters the bloodstream. Differences in body composition affect blood alcohol concentration after a given dose.

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