Human & experimental toxicology
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1. Osmolal and anion gaps are helpful in the diagnosis and evaluation of intoxications with methanol and ethylene glycol. Reported reference values for osmolal gap and anion gap are -1 (+/- 6) mosm kg-1 H2O and 16 (+/- 2) mmol l-1, respectively. ⋯ Neither methanol nor ethylene-glycol was detected in serum from any patients. Small amounts of ethanol were found in 5 patients, and high lactate levels explained in part the most extensively increased anion gaps. However, the calculated analytical standard deviation accounted entirely for the variation in our material, and we suggest that the present reference values be adjusted.