Alcohol on the medication list:
The last time I had seen “beer” on someone’s medication list was during my third year of medical school. The patient was scheduled to receive one can of beer with each meal. The patient, a upper class fellow whose wife had curtly reported, “He drinks two highballs before dinner each night and a glass or two of wine with dinner””he’s not an alcoholic!”, underwent some sort of facial surgery. His surgical team wanted to prevent any alcohol withdrawal and hence ordered alcohol for him.
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I saw IV alcohol given to prevent withdrawal, done as late as the mid-1980’s.
I work in trauma and we keep Milwaukee’s Best in inventory for DTs.
It works so much better to just let ‘em have a beer rather than fighting it with banana bags and ativan.
“mid-1980’s”? IV alcohol is still being used today. I used it often when I did trauma surgery rotation. After major trauma surgery, you have enough surgical issues postop, without having to add alcohol withdrawl. I’ve also seen beer used in the cardiac floors after bypass surgery. My wife used to work in inpatient pharmacy and most hospitals do stock beer and wine (I don’t think hard liquor) to be used on doctor’s orders.
Is that so? mid-1980’s is the last time I saw it. It might be local practice at different hospitals.
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