Podcast #376: Alcohol Intoxication

Educational Pearls:   Blood concentrations over 0.4 mg/dL  is associated with respiratory depression and possible death in alcohol naive patients Alcohol overdose accounts to 2,200 deaths per year Don’t forget about checking for hypoglycemia in severe alcohol intoxication Consider ketamine for agitation to prevent further respiratory depression   Editor’s note: check out our podcast on ketamine for alcohol withdrawal here References: Jung YC, Namkoong K. Alcohol: intoxication and poisoning - diagnosis and treatment. Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;125:115-21. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-62619-6.00007-0. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Vital signs: binge drinking prevalence, frequency, and intensity among adults-United States, 2010." MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 61.1 (2012): 14.