• Simon W Chong, David E P Bramley, and Sara Vogrin.
• Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Western Health, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: simon.chong@wh.org.au.
• J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. 2019 Sep 1; 33 (9): 2473-2477.

ObjectivesTo measure the blood alcohol concentration levels in patients after chemical pleurodesis with ethanol sclerosant via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.DesignProspective observational study.SettingSingle tertiary university hospital.ParticipantsEight patients undergoing chemical pleurodesis with ethanol sclerosant for management of recurrent pneumothoraces or pleural effusions.InterventionsAfter ethics board approval, written informed consent was obtained from 8 patients undergoing chemical pleurodesis with ethanol sclerosant for management of recurrent pneumothoraces or pleural effusions. Five patients received a dose of 100 mL of 70% ethanol/1% iodine, and 3 patients received 30 mL. Blood alcohol concentration measurement was obtained at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the ethanol was instilled in the interpleural space. The postoperative quality of recovery scale was conducted preoperatively and then at 30 and 60 minutes postoperatively and on postoperative days 1 and 3.Measurements And Main ResultsThe highest observed blood alcohol concentration was recorded at 30 minutes post-instillation of ethanol in all patients. The blood alcohol concentration peak for 75% of patients (6/8) was >0.05 g/dL at 30 minutes post-instillation of ethanol, and for 4 patients (50%), this remained >0.05 g/dL at 60 minutes. The median area under curve of ethanol absorbed was 5.66 g/dL/min (3.24-7.29).ConclusionsSignificant systemic absorption of ethanol can occur after instillation of ethanol sclerosant, which potentially may affect the quality of recovery in patients. Postoperative management of these patients may need to be specifically tailored to take into account these observations.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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