Acute alcohol intoxication

Acute alcohol intoxication, commonly known as drunkenness, is a state of central nervous system excitation or inhibition caused by a single large intake of alcohol or alcoholic beverages. Patients present with varying degrees of excitement and agitation, loss of restraint, abnormal behavior, talkativeness and slurred speech, motor and gait ataxia, agitation, drowsiness, and in severe cases, stupor and coma. The severity is often positively correlated with blood alcohol concentration, but there are individual differences. Generally, full recovery to normal state can occur within a short time without sequelae.