[Neurologic emergencies in acute alcoholic intoxication].

Neurologic complications of acute alcohol intake are less well known to the general practitioner than those punctuating the course of chronic alcohol dependency. The state of ebriety is a poor incentive to precise neurologic analysis and follow-up. Nevertheless, only such surveillance in acute intoxication can distinguish a specific neurological complication, a complication following a fall or prolonged immobilisation, or rapid decompensation of alcoholic encephalopathy. Among the specific complications, myopathies and strokes are described here because of their rarity compared to the more common epilepsy and withdrawal syndromes. The neurologic semiology of ebriety is reviewed, including recent pathophysiological acquisitions specifying the mechanism of functional disorders in regions susceptible to alcohol such as the cerebellum and the reticular formation.