FCEM2-0734

A 52-year-old individual is brought into the emergency department after being discovered unresponsive on a park bench. The patient is a familiar face to the department, having had numerous previous visits related to alcohol abuse. Upon reviewing the patient’s medical history, you observe a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, which prompts a conversation with your consultant about the underlying mechanisms by which alcohol affects the liver. In terms of alcohol metabolism by the liver, what is the resulting product of acetaldehyde oxidation?