Quitting more than one addiction

[Nursetastic]

Some hospitals are still using an ethanol gtt. I don't have much experience with detox, but no matter where you work ETOH'ers come around and need help during their admission. Our hospital uses CIWA in the ICU. It is really helpful. But we can detox as many people as we want, but it doesn't really help the problem. I say, if an alcoholic in the hospital wants a beer with dinner it should be prescribed. Our pharmacy stocks it for that reason and I've never seen it done.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Some hospitals are still using an ethanol gtt. I don't have much experience with detox, but no matter where you work ETOH'ers come around and need help during their admission. Our hospital uses CIWA in the ICU. It is really helpful. But we can detox as many people as we want, but it doesn't really help the problem. I say, if an alcoholic in the hospital wants a beer with dinner it should be prescribed. Our pharmacy stocks it for that reason and I've never seen it done.

I can see how the docs (who would have to prescribe it) would avoid writing those orders- the amount needed to prevent withdrawal is probably more than they could ethically feel ok doing. I've seen a lot of guys who put away 24-36 beers a day, (women less, but still more than a beer with dinner :)). The doses of stuff we gave addicts during detox were mind-boggling. But their tolerance was such that they needed it.

You're right- alcoholics need help when in a medical hospital- and more often than not, they encounter a lot of hatred and 'cold' care- and I don't think it's anything necessarily mean-spirited, but it's not in the comfort zone of medical facilities to deal with addicts and alcoholics. When I worked at the rehab facility, we hated to send patients to the medical hospital- and they hated getting them- to the degree of not admitting someone in septic shock, because they didn't want to deal with an addict.... he ended up having to go back, and did live- but it wasn't because anybody wanted to help him....