alcohol IVP?

[Code 8 Paramedic]

Has anyone ever heard of anyone taking alcohol IV? I was discussing the alcohol nebs with someone the other day when they asked me if you could give alcohol thru and IV. I wasn't completely sure if it would work, or be safe(safe as in not loosing your arm safe) I had heard in medic school that grain alcohol IV was the tx for anti-freeze poisoning... any thoughts?

Oh and I just remembered I saw it on House for the same thing

[AnthonyM83]

I actually just heard that this weekend...except it was the other way around. Someone was talking aboug EtOH IVs and I brought up the nebulizers

But no one knew what they (the IVs) were used for in the clinical setting.

[JPINFV]

Ethanol is used to treat methanol poisoning because it has a higher affinity to the catalysts than methanol, thus allowing methanol to be eliminated instead of being broken down into formaldehyde. The emedicine article includes information about dosage for ethanol treatment of methanol poisoning.

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic19.htm

Side note: All an alcohol is is a hydrocarbon with an OH group attached in place of a hydrogen.

[AnthonyM83]

What a brilliant idea

[Ridryder 911]

Alcohol drips have been used for O.B. patients for decades as well.....

R/r 911

[spenac]

When saw this post thought it was some new frat house game. Rid what type of alcohol drips were given to OB's and why? Thanks.

[Ridryder 911]

10% ethyl alcohol has been an alternative method of slowing the contractions on premature labor with other types of treatment, such as terbutaline drips...etc.

[spenac]

10% ethyl alcohol has been an alternative method of slowing the contractions on premature labor with other types of treatment, such as terbutaline drips...etc.

We use terbutaline(brethine) on the ambulance but guess I had never seen or realized if our little hospital was using the alcohol drips. Live and learn.

[ERDoc]

One of my attendings told a story that happened a few years before I hit residency. Someone at the local community college accidently put methanol in the drinking water line instead of whatever line it was supposed to go in (don't know the details). Luckily it was summer so there were not many students, but 7 ended up needing to be admitted. Imagine the scene in the ICU with 7 college students on alcohol drips. Must have been quite a sight.

[spenac]

One of my attendings told a story that happened a few years before I hit residency. Someone at the local community college accidently put methanol in the drinking water line instead of whatever line it was supposed to go in (don't know the details). Luckily it was summer so there were not many students, but 7 ended up needing to be admitted. Imagine the scene in the ICU with 7 college students on alcohol drips. Must have been quite a sight.

Now thats a frat party.