Acute ethanol intoxication treatment

The most important goals in the treatment of acute alcohol intoxication are to prevent severe respiratory depression and to prevent aspiration of vomitus. Even with very high blood ethanol levels, survival is probable as long as the respiratory and cardiovascular systems can be supported. The average blood alcohol concentration in fatal cases is above 400 mg/dL however, the lethal dose of alcohol varies because of varying degrees of tolerance. 

The treatment of acute alcohol intoxication is based on the severity of respiratory and CNS depression. Acute alcohol intoxication can be a medical emergency, and a number of young people die every year from this disorder. Patients who are comatose and who exhibit evidence of respiratory depression should be intubated to protect the airway and to provide ventilatory assistance. The stomach may be lavaged, but care must be taken to prevent pulmonary aspiration of the return flow. Since ethanol is freely miscible with water, ethanol can be removed from blood by hemodialysis. 

The treatment goals for acute intoxication of ethanol, cocaine/amphetamines, and opioids include (1) management of psychological manifestations of intoxication, such as aggression, hostility, or psychosis, and (2) management of medical manifestations of intoxication such as respiratory depression, hyperthermia, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, or stroke. 

The treatment goals for acute intoxication due to ethanol, cocaine/amphetamines, and opioids include (1) management of... 

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