A Presentation of Alcohol Intoxication after Alcohol Sclerotherapy in the Emergency Department

: Background Alcohol sclerotherapy is a procedure where high concentration alcohol is injected into an open cavity for eradication of the cavity through caustic effects of the alcohol. There have been a few reports of intoxication occurring after vascular sclerotherapy procedures for treatment of aneurysms. Case Report We present a case of a 64-year-old female who underwent an interventional radiology guided percutaneous drainage of a seroma with alcohol sclerotherapy, complicated by difficulty recovering from the procedure, subsequently found to have an increased alcohol level of 120mg/dl. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this? This case highlights a rare but clinically significant possibility of iatrogenic alcohol poisoning with alcohol sclerotherapy in surgical patients. The differential for post-operative patients who have undergone alcohol sclerotherapy with interventional radiology (IR) drainage should include potential systemic uptake leading to iatrogenic alcohol toxicity.