Sobering up a patient rapidly
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Sobering up a patient rapidly
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In the early 1990s I was aware of a practice by a couple of Consultants in Emergency Care who prescribed IV Dextrose with Insulin with the aim of speeding up the process of sobering a drunk
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Sobering up a patient rapidly
posted at 17/2/2012 4:37 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 383
First: 15/7/2011 Last: 21/5/2012 |
In the early 1990s I was aware of a practice by a couple of Consultants in Emergency Care who prescribed IV Dextrose with Insulin with the aim of speeding up the process of sobering a drunken patient. It was not widely practised but was regularly used by these Doctors and said to be effective. Has anyone ever used such a 'treatment'?, does it work?, how does it work? Is it safe? Is it any better than just hydrating a patient and allowing time to sober up?. I recall it was used when an intoxicated patient had sustained a head injury for example. |
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Re: Sobering up a patient rapidly
posted at 17/2/2012 9:40 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 851
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 20/5/2012 |
Never heard of it, kirked. Insulin/glucose infusion is routine management of periop. starvation in diabetics, so if properly managed not too dangerous, except that there, the objective is to give the minimum insulin required to keep blood sugar down with a constant glucose input. This regime would have different objective, to reduce alcohol levels, so no guarantee of corresponding safety. Alcohol is known to provoke hypoglycaemia, so maybe they hoped for a similar effect in reverse, a dangerous assumption to me. JOhn |
Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Sobering up a patient rapidly
