Table 1.
Case reports of intentional alcohol-based hand sanitizer ingestions
| Case | Ref | Age (yrs) and sex | Psychiatric Illness | Hospital Admission Diagnosis | Stated Ingestion Intent | Location of Ingestion (Number of acute attempts) | Hand Sanitizer Alcohol Concentration | Blood Concentration of Alcohols (mg/dl) | Therapeutic Interventions | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (3) | 49 M | Alcoholism | Alcohol intoxication | NS | Hospital | 85% ethanol | Ethanol 335 | Gastric lavage, intubation | Recovery |
| 2 | (4) | 38 M | Alcoholism | Suspected intoxication | NS | Hospital | Not specified | Ethanol > 500 | Intubation | Recovery |
| 3 | (5) | 38 F | Chronic psychosis | Pancreatic duct stone | Suicide attempt | Hospital | 51% isopropanol, 34% propanol-1 | isopropanol 37, acetone 227, propanol-1 < 10 | Fomepizole | Recovery |
| 4 | (6) | 27 M | Polysubstance abuse, depression | Pancreatitis | Suicide attempt | ED (2 episodes within 2 months) | 63% isopropanol | Elevated isopropanol levels | Intubation | Recovery |
| 5 | (7) | NS F | Alcoholism | Alcohol withdrawal | Intoxication | Hospital | 65 – 75% ethanol | Ethanol 700 | Intubation | Recovery |
| 6 | (8) | 81 F | NS | Cardiac rehabilitation | Suicide attempt | Cardiac Rehab | 85% ethanol | Ethanol 228 | Supportive Care | Recovery |
| 7 | (9) | 43 M | Alcoholism | Chest pain | Intoxication | Hospital | 63% isopropanol | Isopropanol 13.6, acetone 269 | Supportive care Vasopressors | Recovery |
| 8 | (10) | 49 M | NS | Acute intoxication | NS | Correctional Facility | 62% ethanol | Ethanol 335 | Fluid repletion | Recovery |
| 9 | (11) | 37 M | NS | Hospital Visitor | NS | Hospital | 27.6% 1-propanol, 36.1% 2-propanol | NS | Gastic lavage, activated charcoal, intubation | Recovery |
| 10 | (12) | 53 M | Alcoholism | Acute intoxication | Intoxication | Outpatient and hospital | Isopropanol with 1st ingestion episode and 2nd episode 61% ethanol | Isopropanol 100 acetone 207 both from 1st episode, ethanol 376, 2nd episode | Intensive care admission | Recovery |
| 11 | (13) | 46 M | Bipolar disorder, Alcoholism | Acute intoxication | Intoxication | Outpatient and in hospital | 62% ethanol | NS | Observation | Recovery |
| 12 | (14) | NS | Borderline Personality Syndrome | NS | NS | Correctional Facility | Isopropanol, | Isopropanol 195, acetone 128 | Intubation Hemodialysis | Recovery |
| 13 | (15) | 71 M | Alcoholism | Hyponatremia | NS | Hospital, 2 episodes | 70% alcohol 1st episode 48% 2-propanol and 32% 1-propanol, 2nd episode | 1st episode ethanol 180 2nd episode 1-propanol 850, 2-propanol 1600, acetone 55 | Intensive Care | Death |
| 14 | (16) | 33 F | Depression Alcoholism | Depression | Suicide Attempt | Psychiatric ward | 43% ethanol | Ethanol 414 | Intubation | Recovery |
M- male, F-female, NS-not specified, ED – emergency department