Vodka drip saves man's life

News Type: Event — Seeded on Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:36 AM EDT

odd-news, australia, vodka, dr-fraser, dr-gelperowicz

Seeded by I SPY

Doctors used a case of vodka to help save an Italian tourist being treated for poisoning in a Queensland hospital.

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I SPY's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Australian Viners, Newsvines drunks
Regions: San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose

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6.8

4.8

{"commentId":1087575,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

Bizarre. I wonder if it was cheaper than pharmaceutical-grade alcohol. Pharmacorp would not be pleased about doctor thinking outside the square.

{"commentId":1087575,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

4 votes

#1 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:01 AM EDT

{"commentId":1087668,"authorDomain":"ISPY"}

I SPY

LOl it's a sad reflection of the state of the QLD health service, I wonder if this is what little johnny's money was spent on. It could be an election ploy. Put the whole state of Tasmania on a Vodka drip until mid 2008

{"commentId":1087668,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"ISPY"}

3 votes

#1.1 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:39 AM EDT

{"commentId":1088833,"authorDomain":"kylerove"}

Kyle Rove

I'm not sure how you interpret this to be a sad reflection on health care—that they ran out of pharma-grade ethanol or used alcohol as a substitute. The first is plausible and the second perfectly acceptable.

Every second-year medical student is taught that ethanol/alcohol is an antidote to ethylene glycol poisoning. The only novel part of this story is how the doctors administered the ethanol.

{"commentId":1088833,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"kylerove"}

#1.2 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:53 PM EDT

{"commentId":1088901,"authorDomain":"ISPY"}

I SPY

Sorry Kyle Rove local political joke. There has been a lot of buzz about hospitals in the lead up to the Australian elections in Tasmania and a recent scandal in the QLD hospital system. It is not referring to the staff but the Gov funding of these public hospitals.

{"commentId":1088901,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"ISPY"}

2 votes

#1.3 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:21 PM EDT

{"commentId":1089418,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

The funding, or lack thereof, is appalling. Hospitals are run by clueless administrators who scored the cushy job as a political favour and the people who work there are treated like dirt.

My local hospital is a bureaucratic nightmare and all the staff are completely stressed out by the poor way it's run. In this environment accidents happen because staff are stressed and overworked and equipment isn't purchased due to somebody not filling out a form in triplicate or an administrator running a scam on the side.

Not a fun job to have and not somewhere you want to be as a patient.

{"commentId":1089418,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

2 votes

#1.4 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:57 PM EDT

{"commentId":1087682,"authorDomain":"cartooncat"}

cartooncat

I feel ill... fetch me a doctor with a vodka drip, someone.... !!

{"commentId":1087682,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"cartooncat"}

7 votes

#2 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:47 AM EDT

{"commentId":1088448,"authorDomain":"davidmcgirr"}

David Mc Girr

Who else thought this story was about Walt?

-Dave

{"commentId":1088448,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"davidmcgirr"}

1 vote

#2.1 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:33 PM EDT

{"commentId":1088893,"authorDomain":"cartooncat"}

cartooncat

Mind you... I bet he had one hell of a hangover when he came round!

{"commentId":1088893,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"cartooncat"}

1 vote

#2.2 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:19 PM EDT

{"commentId":1087695,"authorDomain":"vikibabbles"}

Viki Babbles Gonia

I've been asking for one of these for years! Do I have to drink antifreeze to get it?

{"commentId":1087695,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"vikibabbles"}

4 votes

#3 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:52 AM EDT

{"commentId":1089422,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

Who said tabloid news wasn't educational? Vodka drips for all!

{"commentId":1089422,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

3 votes

#3.1 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:59 PM EDT

{"commentId":1087714,"authorDomain":"incredulous"}

The Incredulous One

"The hospital's administrators were also very understanding when we explained our reasons for buying a case of vodka."

It's believed the man was poisoned when attempting self-harm.

presumably, if he had poisoned himself by drinking a case of vodka, they'd be dripping ethylene glycol into his veins. I wonder.

{"commentId":1087714,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"incredulous"}

6 votes

#4 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:59 AM EDT

{"commentId":1088818,"authorDomain":"kylerove"}

Kyle Rove

Nope. Ethylene glycol poisoning occurs because liver enzymes that also process alcohol (ethanol) turn it into harmful metabolites. Because these enzymes have a greater affinity for ethanol, it acts as an antidote, preventing the creation of the toxic metabolites from ethylene glycol and allowing for the elimination of ethylene glycol by other means.

{"commentId":1088818,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"kylerove"}

2 votes

#4.1 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:49 PM EDT

{"commentId":1089840,"authorDomain":"incredulous"}

The Incredulous One

thanks, I know and made a bad joke. My comment was directed more to the course of treatment they chose. I guess they think ethanol is the best thing to use. I don't believe it is. For that matter, I wonder if propylene glycol would work as well or better. It will also compete with the propylene glycol and metabolites are just part of the normal citric acid cycle anyway. I don't know which competes for the alcohol dehydrogenase faster or more efficiently, whether ethanol or propylene glycol. Ethanol's not quite harmless, either.

{"commentId":1089840,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"incredulous"}

#4.2 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 11:49 PM EDT

{"commentId":1088095,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}

TomPitysFools

Um, if my health insurance covers this, I may be out sick for the next couple decades.

{"commentId":1088095,"threadId":"160155","contentId":"1015468","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}

6 votes

#5 - Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:26 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"160155","isPrivate":false}

Hospital Gives Man Drip-Feed of Vodka	Associated Press	Wed Oct 10	3
Australian doctors use vodka drip to save tourist	Yahoo! News	Wed Oct 10	0
Vodka-drip feed saves unconscious tourist \| NEWS.com.au	Australian News Network	Wed Oct 10	0
Case of vodka used to treat poisoned tourist	Guardian Unlimited	Wed Oct 10	0
Vodka drip saves poisoned Italian	Scotsman.com News	Wed Oct 10	1

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