Giving alcohol to an alcoholic?

What makes you think he wasn't withdrawing even after consuming 1/2 a bottle of tequila?
 
In some hospital systems it is still standard practice to use alcohol down NG/OG tubes in the ICU setting to combat withdrawal symptoms for patients that are on ventilators. It's a lot better for the patient and easier then dumping an absurd amount of benzo's and narcs into their system and then restraining them to try and keep them from pulling a tube.

In EMS I think what we are "okay" with the patient doing on scene is completely dependent from scene to scene. We frequently allow attempted suicide patients to sit on the porch with us and law enforcement, use one of our cell phones to call family, and smoke a few before we load up and take them in. This builds some trust and helps the family to remember it is not such an extremely terrible experience. If an alcoholic wants alcohol before going to rehab, fine.
 
Aidey said:
What makes you think he wasn't withdrawing even after consuming 1/2 a bottle of tequila?
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Honestly I just assumed he was just really drunk at the time, but now that I think about it dts perfectly explain how he was acting.
 
Exactly. It is important to remember that the chronically severely intoxicated can go into withdrawal at much higher BACs than you would expect. I had a pt a few years ago who had consumed an 18 pack of beer in 12 hours and was still in full DTs at a BAC of .220.
 
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I never would have thought of that. He was pretty stable so my concern was him turning violent on us
 
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