Beer on a patient's dinner tray?

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This isn't a joke. Last night a nurse was talking about her patient getting beer on their dinner tray so she wouldn't leave AMA. The patient had a hx of ETOH abuse.

Other nurses replied that their patients have gotten beer in the hospital.

This totally confused me. Does this really happen??

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I had a pt that's MAR said "Miller Lite 1 can TID and PRN ETOH DT". I was so embarrassed carrying that down the hall.

We also have whiskey in the pharm narc cabinet for b/c an old lady had it ordered QHS ;)

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I guess we have them for different reasons on our floor. If a dying oncology patient wants a beer, then by golly, someone bring them a beer!

I had someone who mentioned he wanted a beer. His doctor wrote that we could give him beer whenever he wanted it. So his wife brought in his favorite and we kept it in the fridge. Usually everynight around 10, he asked for a beer.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Years ago when I worked in a small country hospital, we had a frequent flyer for whom the admitting doc always wrote orders for "one 12-oz.can of beer PO q 4 hrs PRN s/sx DTs". Someone literally had to go out and buy a 12-pack for this patient every time he came in. Sure felt strange, going into the med room refrigerator for a can of Schlitz and taking it down the hall!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.

I've seen it.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU.

Same as everyone else, DTs are HORRIBLE. We hardly ever do it but we get tons of DT people on ativan gtts. I HATE taking care of a DT patient, they are usually insane. I would RATHER give them beer and send them on their way. I'm sure if any normal teen saw a DT, they would never think drinking is cool again...

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Don't deal with it much anymore but used to see it all the time when I worked med-surg. A can of beer with meals, or whatever. We had one 96yo pt whose 70yo son came to visit him nightly and would bring him his shot glass & Jack Daniels. There were never any orders written, but the doc knew about it, didn't care. We knew what the son was doing too but we all had a better night - the pt included - if he got his nightly EtOH. The man is still alive (this was 7 years ago) so it didn't hurt him much....

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I have seen this. The physician would actually write and order for beer or wine for them to have every night. That is what they had at home so they were able to continue this at the hospital as well.

otessa

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Specializes in Operating Room.
If you do try to dry them out you'll kill them. I've seen it.

You're absolutely right. I've seen this in my hospital. If someone has a history of ETOH abuse, they offer them help to kick it. If they turn down this help, there will be an order for a certain amount of alcohol each day, so they don't go into DTs.

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I wonder how this gets processed through insurance. Do insurance companies usually cover it or does the patient get a bill for $50 beers?

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

When I did my clinicals in a burn unit in the late 70's I remember a case of Coors in the fridge and ask about it. I was told that a certain doctor would order it with the patients meals because it was high in calories and good for fluid intakes and outputs.

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Specializes in Homecare Peds, ICU, Trauma, CVICU.

When I worked at a LTC facility for adults with neuromuscular disorders we had quite a few residents we gave beer or wine to. The resident was responsible for purchasing the alcohol themselves (either family would purchase or the rec dept would purchase using the residents money) and it was kept locked in the med room. Most would ask for it just on special occasions. Even had a few that I've given via GT as well. Of course we had a physicians order to do so. Never saw anything wrong with this and was happy to do it. These people lived most of their lives in an institution and why shouldn't they have the same rights as us. :smokin::cheers:

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I wonder how this gets processed through insurance. Do insurance companies usually cover it or does the patient get a bill for $50 beers?

Good question.

Here, we ask families or friends to bring in the beer and we keep it in our med room fridge. Sometimes our manager buys it for them. I've even seen a surgeon buy his patient a six pack before. DT's are not only dangerous, the increase the length of stay. Why dry out a person, risk disruption of the surgical site, keep them in the hospital 7 days instead of the three their surgery requires, only to have them drink the day they get out?

I'm all for it and no problem with it whatsoever.

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