Ethanol for Methanol or Ethylene Glycol Poisoning

[thbarnes]

Have you ever administered Ethanol (standard dose 30 - 60ml of 80 proof) for a Methanol or Ethylene Glycol poisoning?

I know most hospital pharmacies carry a range of alcoholic beverages, but does your ambulance carry a small amount in your drug box? Is it something you think your service should carry? If not, does your service carry fomepizole?

To those who have never heard of this before, ethanol has a higher affinity for the metabolities that convert methanol and ethylene glycol to more toxic substances, such as formaldehyde, and formic acid (inducing massive metabolic acidosis).

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

[Just Plain Ruff]

Yes in fact I have. We had a 3 year old who drank antifreeze out of a cup that her dad had poured. It smelled good and tasted sweet.

She got a alcohol drip.

The only things we were told to look out for was Deep Tendon Reflexes and LOC for the alcohol effects

I got a excellent briefing on deep tendon reflexes and tested them throughout the transport.

The little girl was an angel and the trip was really fun - 200 miles in the back of an ambulance. Thank god for inverters and TV/VCR combos.

[AZCEP]

Yes I have, but no we don't stock it.

Time was a bottle of 80+ proof was required equipment for an ambulance in the state of AZ. Then someone found out more of the whiskey was being used for personal consumption than therapeutic effect, and it was eliminated.

Volunteer departments really look at you funny when you tell them to go buy a bottle of Jack Daniel's for a patient.

[Just Plain Ruff]

and lets not forget the use of nitrous oxide by people other than patients. I know for a fact that it was used by crewmembers at one ambulance system I worked for.

Peace out

[Ridryder 911]

Yeah, used to carry in the city, when we had many drinking "warm" radiator antifreeze, as well as rubbing alcohol. We used to carry & mark it each time used, funny thing it got more clear each week.. finally pulled it.

R/r 911

[akroeze]

Question...

If it isn't in your protocols, would you get in trouble for using that Tx?

[Ridryder 911]

Yep... there was protocols for alcohol administration. The problem was medics.."..self medicating themselves"....

[Just Plain Ruff]

then the amount of ethylene glycol ingestion cases must be pretty high in the EMS community he he he

[Ridryder 911]

yeah, it must be ... maybe equal to management level..

[tinman694]

The two times I have worked Ethyline glycol cases...we stopped by the State Store on the way in and got what the patient needed....Only wish we could have gotten what "we" needed.