Treatment for Alcohol Poisoning

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The most difficult part concerning the treatment for alcohol poisoning is making the decision to seek immediate medical assistance.

If a person who has been drinking heavily persists in falling asleep, waken him or her. If the individual does not respond by remaining awake, it is time to call 911 and ask for immediate medical assistance.  Once the drinker is at the hospital, the treatment for alcohol poisoning will more likely than not consist of pumping the individual's stomach until the stomach is free of any gastric contents.

Responding Appropriately to Alcohol Poisoning

Simply put, the hardest part about responding to an alcohol overdose situation is making the decision to get immediate medical assistance.  

Public humiliation, possible legal repercussions (for underage drinkers, for instance). a lack of knowledge about the symptoms and the critical nature of alcohol poisoning, or the fear of embarrassment can lead to indecision, which can be fatal.

If a person who has been drinking excessively persists in falling asleep, waken him or her.

If the individual does not respond without difficulty, it is time to call the police emergency number (911) and ask for immediate medical assistance.  Do not simply assume that the individual will "sleep it off" or would prefer not to be disturbed.

Another important point is this:  getting the individual home and in bed is not a solution, and may actually place the drinker at even more risk since he or she will no longer be observed by another person. 

In addition, be sure to inform the ambulance driver or medical personnel if you think that other drugs may have been ingested by the drinker.  Why is this important?  Mainly because alcohol, when combined with other drugs, legal or illegal, accounts for roughly one third of all drug overdose cases in the United States.

Treatment for Alcohol Poisoning at the Hospital

Once medical personnel have responded to the call for assistance, the drinker will almost always be taken to a hospital where the treatment for alcohol poisoning consists of pumping the person's stomach.  Pumping the stomach, also known as or gastric lavage or gastric irrigation, involves inserting a tube in the person's nose or mouth and passing it down into the stomach.  After the tube has reached the stomach, the administration and removal of small amounts of warm water or saline is repeated until the returning fluid does not contain any more gastric contents.

Treatment for Alcohol Poisoning:  Conclusion

The most difficult aspect of obtaining appropriate treatment for alcohol poisoning is someone taking the initiative and making the decision to seek immediate medical help.  For example, if an individual who has been drinking heavily continues to fall asleep, waken him or her.

If the person does not respond to you, it is time to call the police emergency number (911) and ask for immediate assistance.  Once the drinker arrives at the hospital, he or she will probably have his or her stomach pumped to remove any gastric contents that remain in the stomach.

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