A. A 59yr old man, Koosei was admitted unconscious to the emergency room from a local bar days after DNA tests revealed he was not the biological father of his 6 children. The bartender revealed that he is able to eat only a half-ball of kenkey and black pepper and drinks lots of Oyaw Bitters. Lab result:

Test

Result

Interpretation

Blood alcohol

550mg/dl

high

Plasma Glucose

50mg/dl

low

Blood lactate

8mmol/L

high

Blood pH

7.21

low



(i) Give a diagnosis of the clinical condition based on the lab findings. (4mks)

(ii) State the biochemical basis for each of these four (4) results? (8mks)

(iii) Name two (2) biochemical pathways which will be affected in this condition? (

Solution 

​​​​​​1. Diagnosis - Based on the lab findings it can be concluded that the patient has
a- high levels of alcohol content in blood.
b- Glucose levels in blood are low.
c- The pH is also low
d - while lactate levels are high. All this points towards metabolic acidosis and low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. 

2. Since the patient has been consuming lots of alcohol and has not been eating proper food, thus proper digestion and assimilation has been impacted leading to these conditions. Moreover, kidney failure due to excessive alcohol consumption has led to accumulation of lactate in blood.

3. Glycolysis and citric acid cycle and kidney or renal metabolism are a few biochemical pathways affected in this condition.