News
Make that a double
Australian doctors last month saved the life of an Italian tourist by drip feeding him vodka.
The man was admitted to a Queensland hospital after he swallowed a lethal dose of anti-freeze in an apparent suicide attempt. Doctors agreed that the best way to treat him was through administering controlled doses of pharmaceutical-grade alcohol.
However, the hospital's alcohol supplies soon ran out, and doctors sent out for a case of vodka to continue the treatment. "We quickly used all the available vials of 100 per cent alcohol and decided that the next best way to get alcohol into the man's system was by feeding him spirits through a nasal-gastric drip," said Dr Pascal Gelperowicz. The patient was given the equivalent of three standard drinks per hour for three days. "Fortunately for him, he was in a medically-induced coma for a good portion of that," Dr Todd Fraser told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "By the time he woke up, I think his hangover would have well and truly gone." Fraser continued: "The hospital administrators were also very understanding when we explained our reasons for having a case of vodka!"
The patient was discharged in full health after 20 days, and claimed not to feel any ill effects!
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21 January 2008