Accidental Ethanol Ingestion in a 32 Day Old Infant.

We report a case of a 32 day old previously healthy male who presented to an outside hospital in the early morning with chief complaint of "not acting normal". The mother reported that she woke up at 4am and prepared a 4 ounce bottle of formula with Enfamil and water for the baby, andthe baby drank 3 ounces of the formula. Approximately an hour later, she observed that the baby was not acting right. The baby was having excessive oral secretions, shaking his arms up and down, and was agitated. 

The father later recalled that he had left clear undiluted gin that he had shared with his friend earlier that evening in a disposable water bottle on the nightstand next to the formula powder. Waking up in the middle of the night and mistaking it for water, the mother then used the alcohol while mixing the patient’s formula. The patient was immediately taken to an outside hospital.(Read more)

Smartphone Applications for Use in Drug Overdose: A review

As smartphone use increases, the use of applications (apps) regarding healthcare expands. Using medical apps has become commonplace for both medical professionals and the general public. Before apps are used it is important that the information that they deliver is accurate and can be used with confidence. Overdose is a common problem presenting to emergency departments and apps provide an opportunity to provide information to both patients and healthcare professionals regarding initial management.

Smartphone use is increasing amongst healthcare professionals and as a result there are smartphone applications available for a variety of healthcare related tasks. As smartphone use becomes ubiquitous, the general public are likely to access medical information this way. Many healthcare apps have been developed for healthcare professionals and are available to download including dose calculators, reference guides and log books. The ability of an app to act as an interactive tool by making calculations or seeking information ‘on-the-go’ in the clinical environment means it can outperform a traditional computer. Similarly, patients can access information stored on their smartphone and this can be carried with them and accessed when traditional information technology (IT) facilities are not available. Although apps are unique in their ability to perform a specific task in a streamlined way, there is currently no regulation of their content and healthcare professional involvement can be variable.