Educational Pearls:

• Blood concentrations over 0.4 mg/dL is associated with respiratory depression and possible death in alcohol naive patients

• Alcohol overdose accounts to 2,200 deaths per year

• Don't forget about checking for hypoglycemia in severe alcohol intoxication

• Consider ketamine for agitation to prevent further respiratory depression

Editor's note: check out our podcast on ketamine for alcohol withdrawal here

References:

Jung YC, Namkoong K. Alcohol: intoxication and poisoning - diagnosis and treatment. Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;125:115-21. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-62619-6.00007-0.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Vital signs: binge drinking prevalence, frequency, and intensity among adults-United States, 2010." MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 61.1 (2012): 14.