Alcohol enema

An alcohol enema is the pouring of an alcoholic drink into the rectum via an enema or enema . This method of drinking alcohol , which was used medicinally until the 20th century , is significantly more dangerous than the otherwise common oral intake (through the mouth and stomach ).

history

Enemas with alcohol are probably as old as the history of the enema and the use of alcohol in general and were already used for medicinal purposes in ancient times. The ancient Greek doctor Galenos recommended rectal instillation of dark tart wine for treatment of intestinal injuries. Even Johann Friedrich Gmelin mentioned in his general history of plant toxins (1803), among others enemas of water and wine to a recovering patient "to help forces" again.

In veterinary medicine , too , for the treatment of digestive problems in horses, enemas were used that contained beer or wine as well as other ingredients .

Alcohol was still used as an ingredient in nutrient enema for rectal nutrition of patients in the 20th century, which is given as a single enema or droplet enema, for example 60 cm³ of cognac , rum or Nordhäuser Korn per 1 liter of water.

Usage today

Today's medicine strongly advises against alcohol enemas.

These or similar methods are very rarely found today in the non-medical field, especially in the case of alcohol abuse among adolescents and young adults, or in the field of clismaphilia . The users sometimes aim to get drunk faster this way , or to get drunk without a plume of alcohol.

The assumption that an alcohol enema prevents the detection of drunkenness in a police checkpoint is only partially true, because law enforcement officers may be able to recognize the symptoms of alcohol consumption independently of a "flag", which are sometimes even more pronounced with the enema method . On the other hand, when taken rectally, a “flag” arises, just postponed.

method

In addition to the classic devices such as enema syringes, pear syringes and irrigator sets, funnel-and-hose devices such as beer bongs can also be used. The alcohol can be consumed cold or warmed to body temperature, the latter reducing cramps.

The rectum and colon mucous membrane absorbs the alcohol in a very short time and releases it into the bloodstream , whereby the absorption from the lower part of the rectum bypasses the portal vein circulation of the liver . Compared to oral intake, alcohol poisoning is much faster and more violent, and often life-threatening . The lower digestive tract lacks the gastric alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes that convert ethanol to acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is even more toxic than ethanol, but the direct absorption of pure ethanol into the bloodstream can overwhelm the liver.

hazards

Alcohol enemas can bring life-threatening complications with them and have already led to the death of the user several times . The alcohol enema is particularly dangerous and painful if an undiluted, high-proof spirit is used instead of beer or wine .

Uncontrollable dose

In contrast to oral intake, the effect sets in suddenly and the dose is difficult to control. The half-life (the duration of the breakdown) is individual and very different and uncontrollable from time to time.

Injury to the intestines

If the sensitive intestinal mucosa is injured, there is a great risk of infection . If intestinal bacteria get into the bloodstream, they can cause inflammation and potentially fatal sepsis . Since alcohol has a toxic effect on cells , contact with the mucous membranes can cause burns . These pose the same dangers as mechanical injuries.

Vomiting hazard

Another danger is that the body reacts to the poisoning with vomiting above a certain blood alcohol concentration . However, this vomiting is of no use in the case of non-oral alcohol consumption, since the alcohol is not in the stomach, and is rather associated with additional dangers.

The gastric juice must be diluted as soon as possible after vomiting in order to prevent the gastric mucosa from being burned. If the fluid required for this is not supplied by drinking, it must be obtained from the body fluid. This can lead to thickening of the blood with the risk of life-threatening blood clots . Another danger in patients with impaired consciousness is the possibility of aspiration of the vomited stomach contents.

Other non-oral methods

Other methods of non-oral alcohol consumption, which in large part, but not exclusively, are modern sagas are

• Slimming , whereby a tampon is soaked with high-percentage alcohol and inserted vaginally or rectally (also known as an anal shot ). The term slimming sounds English , but is not known by this meaning in English. The desired effect is that the tampon should release the alcohol evenly into the body over a longer period of time.
• The eyeball shot , also called vodka eyeballing , in which high-percentage alcohol is poured into the eye , which causes a violent burning sensation and, above all, is a self-injurious test of courage.
• The injection of alcohol in blood vessels. It is immediately painful and particularly harmful to health.

literature

• CI Wilson, SS Ignacio, GA Wilson: An unusual form of fatal ethanol intoxication. In: Journal of forensic sciences. Volume 50, Number 3, May 2005, pp. 676-678, ISSN  0022-1198 . PMID 15932106 .
• H. Nadjem, D. Ropohl, J. Werp: Fatal intoxication following rectal instillation of alcohol. In: Contributions to forensic medicine. Volume 48, 1990, pp. 543-549, ISSN  0067-5016 . PMID 2241841 .
• AS Mahdi, AJ McBride: Intravenous injection of alcohol by drug injectors: report of three cases. In: Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire). Volume 34, Number 6, 1999 Nov-Dec, pp. 918-919, ISSN  0735-0414 . PMID 10659730 . (Full text)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Mathias Witt, Hippokrates : Soft tissue and visceral surgery in Hippocrates: an attempt at reconstruction of the lost script Perì trōmátōu kaì belõu (De vulneribus et telis) . Walter de Gruyter, Berlin; New York, NY 2009, ISBN 978-3-11-021767-4 , pp. 116 .
2. ^ Johann Friedrich Gmelin : General history of plant poisons . in the Raspeschen Buchhandlung, Nuremberg 1803, p. 161 .
3. ↑ The perfect equine doctor: In addition to a collection of excellent, many years of experience and Practice checked u. ranges found receipts. Issued by a Swiss . JA Schlosser, January 1, 1847.
4. ↑ Wilhelm von Gaza : Outline of wound care and wound treatment: as well as the treatment of closed foci of infection . Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1921, ISBN 3-642-91591-4 , p. 68 ( limited preview in Google Book search). , after Carl von Noorden and Hugo Salomon : Handbook of Nutrition: General Dietetics . Berlin 1920.
5. ↑ Experts: Alcohol enemas 'extremely dangerous' - CNN.com. In: cnn.com. CNN, accessed April 3, 2017 . 
6. ↑ Urban Dictionary (English) [1]
7. ↑ Breann Bierman: Teens using vodka tampons to get drunk . November 7, 2011 (English, Teens using vodka tampons to get drunk ( Memento from June 14, 2019 in the Internet Archive )).
8. ↑ Cornelius Courts: Unusual Ethanol Intake Practices , ScienceBlogs December 31, 2011, accessed July 26, 2013
9. ^ Hans Christoph Niesel: Regional anesthesia, local anesthesia, regional pain therapy . Georg Thieme Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-13-795402-9 , p. 619 .

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !