How exactly does Ethylene glycol(antifreeze) kill people.?

Question

I have read that it kills people because of the final oxidation product of ethylene glycol which is oxalic acid. But oxalic acid is in some teas and some people drink massive amounts of tea and i don't see them dropping dead. Others have said that it is an like an alcohol and disrupts the central nervous system much more than ethanol. And there is no real definite answer as to why is kills a person. Also some say its because of oxalic acid deposits of calcium stop the kidneys from extracting urea and other chemicals thus leading to renal failure but this process is a bit slow and thus not the quick mechanism of death.And another reason is that it causes metabolic acidosis which would cause somebody to breathe rapidly, not really killing you unless its too acidic but that would have to be a pretty low ph.So i would like to know the real cause of death stage by stage and what causes death and not just a heart attack but the reasons behind it and what not.Im curious and it has bothered me

Please don't use wikipedia as a resource as i have read it and it doesn't give a thorough explanation.

Answer 1

Symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning usually follow a three-step progression, although poisoned individuals will not always develop each stage or follow a specific time frame. Stage 1 consists of neurological symptoms including victims appearing to be intoxicated, exhibiting symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, slurred speech, and confusion. Over time, the body metabolizes ethylene glycol into other toxins, first to glycolaldehyde, which is then oxidized to glycolic acid, glyoxylic acid, and finally oxalic acid. Stage 2 is a result of accumulation of these metabolites and consists of tachycardia, hypertension, hyperventilation, and metabolic acidosis. Stage 3 of ethylene glycol poisoning is the result of kidney injury, leading to acute kidney failure. Oxalic acid reacts with calcium and forms calcium oxalate crystals in the kidney.