title: Recurrent lactic acidosis secondary to hand sanitizer ingestion.
abstract: Due to their ability to decrease the spread of infection, hand sanitizers are now ubiquitous in health care settings. We present the case of a 50-year-old woman who was admitted with acute alcohol intoxication and had near complete recovery in 12 hrs. Subsequently, she was found unresponsive on the floor of her hospital room on two separate occasions. Evaluations revealed repeatedly elevated levels of ethanol, acetone, and lactate as well as increased anion gap and hypotension, requiring intensive care unit evaluation and intubation for airway protection. During the second episode, she was found next to an empty bottle of ethanol-based hospital hand sanitizer. She confirmed ingesting hand sanitizer in order to become intoxicated.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: Wilson
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors: P K
authors: PK
authors: Guru
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors: J G
authors: JG
authors: Park
keywords: Acidosis; alcohol; anion gap; hand sanitizers