Isopropyl alcohol inhalation as treatment for nausea and vomiting.

Abstract

In my practice as a recovery room nurse, I had observed anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists wave an opened alcohol preparation pad under a patient's nose when he or she complained of nausea. When asked, "Why?'' the response often was, "Because it works.'' The following article describes the use of inhalation of isopropyl alcohol as a treatment for postoperative nausea and vomiting. Because alcohol swabs are so readily available, and certainly less expensive than some of the newer antiemetics on the market, this simple nursing intervention was worth investigating.

• Authors: Kathleen Walsh Spencer
• Journal: Plastic surgical nursing : official journal of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Nurses (Plast Surg Nurs) 2004 Oct-Dec Vol. 24 Issue 4 Pg. 149-54 ISSN: 0741-5206 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15632723 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antiemetics
• 2-Propanol

Topics

• 2-Propanol (therapeutic use)
• Administration, Inhalation
• Adult
• Antiemetics (therapeutic use)
• Child
• Clinical Nursing Research
• Humans
• Nursing Assessment
• Nursing Evaluation Research
• Postanesthesia Nursing (methods)
• Postoperative Care (methods, nursing)
• Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (diagnosis, drug therapy, nursing)
• Treatment Outcome