Isopropyl Alcohol Swabs as a Preferred Substance of Abuse

ABSTRACT

The authors describe the treatment of a 36-year-old woman who presented with excessive consumption of antiseptic alcohol swabs. Her behavior was diagnosed as a severe substance use disorder with isopropyl alcohol as the primary drug of choice. Diagnostic and treatment challenges involved in the case are discussed in detail, with particular focus on the differential diagnosis for this unusual presentation, including obsessive compulsive disorder, pica, and intentional self-injurious behavior. A brief review of the literature on non-ethanol ingestion for the purposes of intoxication is included, as well as clinical information about the potential dangers posed by isopropyl alcohol consumption.

KEYWORDS:

• Addiction
• case report
• differential diagnosis
• isopropanol
• non-ethanol
• substance use disorder

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Drs. Srijan Sen, Mahmoud Kamali, and Kevin Kerber, all of whom contributed to the interpretation of the case and commented on early drafts of the manuscript.