The Bacon Explosion

The spiral ham is just the tip of the American culinary iceberg.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?_r=1

A 'work' day like any other for my GM

3:57pm - She has just left the office for the day. Please feel free to drop by at any time between now and 5:30pm to make use of our stationery supplies, promotional chocolate, tea and coffee making facilities and heavy duty stapler.

2:58pm - Boss lets us get back to work so she can take a personal call

1:37pm - Boss called a ‘meeting’ so that we can spoon feed her the answers to the MDs questions about our new website that she has never logged onto herself before.

1:14pm - And she's back. To settle in with the SMH and a big sandwich

12:41pm - There she goes again. Off for a walk.

12:14pm - Boss returns to office

10:02am - Boss leaves for a personal appointment

9:15am - Boss arrives

Quick Flupdate...

First up, my sincerest apologies for not answering my phone, text messages or emails. You have no idea how many queries I get from people every day asking me if this toddler has arrived yet! I have found it easier to turn my mobile off, so if you'd like to speak to me please call me at home...more than happy to answer that phone.

Just got back from the hospital and thought I'd give you all a quick run down on the fluppy's state of affairs.

First up, she still hasn't come. They poked and proded me and did something called "sweeping the membranes" which hurt like a bastard but may possibly send me into labour. If not, I'm booked in for the latest possible induction they will allow...Monday 2nd Feb at 6pm. I'd prefer to do this by myself, but they won't let the baby stay in any longer than that and so many mothers have told me to avoid induction if at all possible (apparently is causes stronger pain in contractions and may slow the whole process down). I need to go back into hospital friday morning, if no baby, to be monitored again, but basically we're still just waiting to see if this child decides to make their grand appearance unaided.

So thank you all for your concerns and well wishes and believe me when I say you are all on the number one list (just after the families) to be told when Fluppy gets here.

Happy Friday!

And you thought YOU needed a drink....

One of the guys in the pharmacy alerted us to the below article, it's worth a read!

Ingestion of hand sanitizer by a hospitalized patient with a history of alcohol abuse

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of hand sanitizers for all health care professionals before and following direct patient contact.1 Alcohol-based sanitizers containing 60–95% ethyl or isopropyl alcohol are used in many health care institutions as a primary infection control measure. Readily available dispensers for alcohol-based sanitizer may be an inviting source for patients admitted for disorders related to alcohol abuse.2,3 We report a case of intentional ingestion of ethyl alcohol in a hospitalized patient with chronic alcoholism.

A 46-year-old man with a medical history significant bipolar disorder, chronic hepatitis C, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and alcohol abuse was treated at a tertiary medical center after being found unconscious in a local grocery store. The patient later said he ingested an unknown amount of alcohol-containing hand sanitizer and mouthwash for intentional alcohol abuse. Pertinent history included a previous admission 10 days before for toxic ingestion of ethyl and isopropyl alcohol from five to eight quarts of mouthwash and two bottles of rubbing alcohol. Vital signs were stable at the scene and on admission. A serum osmolality was measured at 407 mg/dL (the calculated value was 392 mg/dL). The patient's blood ethyl alcohol level was 0.399%, and the salicylate concentration was 1 mg/dL. A urine drug screen was negative. He was initially admitted to a medical step-down unit for acute monitoring and treatment of alcohol withdrawal.

On day 2 of admission, the patient was witnessed ingesting Avagard (3M, St. Paul, MN) foam hand antiseptic (62% w/w ethyl alcohol) directly from the self-contained wall dispenser in his room. He was warned against further ingestion, and the nursing staff became more vigilant in his monitoring. On day 3, the patient was again witnessed ingesting hand sanitizer from the wall dispenser. No acute behavioral changes or adverse effects were noted. After the second occurrence, the hand sanitizer product and wall dispenser were removed from both inside and directly outside the patient's room.

A recent hospitalwide initiative to employ methods encouraging hand hygiene practices increased the number of available hand sanitizer units in patient care areas. Because of the potential abuse of such agents and previously published reports, a recent statement recommends the replacement of all removable bottles and pumpettes with self-contained dispensers.3 Although self-contained dispensers are used at our institution, the availability of alcohol based sanitizer in the patient's room provided the means for abuse.

This patient's significant history nonpotable alcohol ingestion and multiple admissions may have increased the likelihood of toxic ingestion of this product in the institutional setting, highlighting the need for careful assessment of alcohol abuse patterns. Despite the absence of significant adverse events in this patient, continued ingestion of ethyl alcohol during a hospitalization will not only increase the risk of alcohol intoxication and metabolic complications, but also increase the likelihood of falls and potential for medication-alcohol interactions. We recommend considering the temporary removal of alcohol-based hand sanitizers from wall dispensers in rooms that house high-risk patients with a significant history of alcohol abuse as a method to discourage ingestion.

American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. Volume 65(23), 1 December 2008, p 2203–2204.