Alcoholic guzzles six bottles of hand sanitiser
An alcoholic who drank six bottles of hand sanitiser while being treated at the Alfred Hospital for his addiction has sparked a review of the use of anti-bacterial gels in hospitals.
The man guzzled the sanitiser to get drunk, and recorded a blood alcohol level of 0.271 - five times the legal drink-drive limit.
Similar incidents are alleged to have occurred on at least three other occasions at the Alfred Hospital, and it is thought to be a growing problem in many hospitals, both in Australia and overseas.
The patient was being treated for an alcohol-related complaint when he downed six of the 375ml bottle of Aqium gel, with a 66 per cent Ethanol content.
The incident has led to calls for the gel to be kept off high risk wards or be locked away more securely.
In a statement today, the Alfred said it will review the situation, but believes the benefits of having hand sanitiser readily available far outweigh the risks.
