I.V. Drip Counteracts Ethylene Glycol

POSTED: 3:56 pm CDT October 11, 2007


Some emergency doctors in Australia ran out of pharmaceutical-grade alcohol, so they hung a vodka drip to save a patient.

The incident occurred at Mackay Base Hospital in northeast Australia. Doctors reported that a 24-year-old Italian tourist was in danger of dying from ethylene glycol, a common ingredient in antifreeze.

The usual treatment is medicinal alcohol, but the hospital soon ran out. Doctors said they used vodka instead, drip-fed at about three standard drinks an hour for three days in the I.C.U.


The doctors reported that administrators were very understanding when they explained the reason behind the case of vodka on the expense report.

haha i heard about this one, it sounds like something they would do on House...but House wouldnt tell the medical board

And damn that brother must of been soo drunk