The ingestion of alcohol not only leads to drunkeness but diminishes the nerve response that governs breathing, heart rate and the gag reflex, necessary to prevent choking. Overindulgence in alcohol may lead to a condition known as alcohol poisoning, which can result in a coma or death. Treatments given in the emergency room for alcohol poisoning include gastric suction, kidney dialysis and oxygen therapy.
Gastric Suction
Gastric suction, commonly known as stomach pumping, removes the contents of the stomach using a tube inserted through the nose or mouth, past the food pipe and into the stomach. Medical testing may necessitate the use of the gastric suction procedure, and it may also find use for the removal of poisons, such as in alcohol poisoning. MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, reports that some who undergo the procedure feel a gagging sensation as the tube passes through the throat. While generally safe, the risk of aspiration, esophageal perforation and minor bleeding exists.
Kidney Dialysis
Adults and children suffering from methanol or isopropyl alcohol ingestion poisoning may need to undergo kidney dialysis, also called peritoneal dialysis, for treatment in an emergency situation. Peritoneal dialysis, or PD, works to remove the alcohol through a catheter placed in the abdomen and dialysis solution that pulls wastes and extra fluid into the abdominal cavity. The solution drains, taking with it the wastes, including alcohol.
Oxygen Therapy
Oxygen therapy may also be used to combat alcohol poisoning. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure, makes it possible for extra oxygen to impact damaged tissues. It enhances the ability of white blood cells to destroy bacteria, which decreases swelling and encourages the growth of new blood vessels to areas that may be affected by alcohol poisoning, like the brain.
References
- College Drinking: Facts About Alcohol Poisoning
- MayoClinic.com: Alcohol poisoning
- MedlinePlus: Gastric suction
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Peritoneal Dialysis
- PRLog: G&G Holistic Addiction Treatment Adds Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy HBOT
