Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Dec 2000
ReviewEthanol, isopropanol, methanol, and ethylene glycol poisoning.
Alcohol intoxication, commonly encountered in emergency department and clinic settings, is by no means a benign condition. Ethanol ingested alone or in combination with other CNS depressants (eg, isopropanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, sedatives, opioids) can be fatal. ⋯ Emergency department nurses may be the first persons to collect the essential data, and it is incumbent upon them to plan and initiate appropriate care. In continuing management for these patients, critical care nurses must understand the factors contributing to the observed signs and symptoms in order to initiate and monitor ongoing care and prevent serious complications.