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Review
. 2024 Apr 20;16(4):e58650.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.58650. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Severe Ethanol Poisoning Among United States College Fraternity Pledges

Todd S Ing  1 , Armen Sam  2 , Hon-Lok Tang  3 , Keith K Lau  4
Affiliations
Review

Severe Ethanol Poisoning Among United States College Fraternity Pledges

Todd S Ing et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Hazing is a longstanding tradition in university and college fraternities. This practice often uses alcohol as a penalty during hazing rituals, resulting in severe ethanol poisoning and even death among pledges. Typically, the serum ethanol levels in these poisoned students are extremely high. Preventing severe ethanol poisoning is crucial, and can be achieved through education about the harms of these hazing activities. Hemodialysis is an effective treatment for severe ethanol poisoning as it removes the excess alcohol in a timely manner.

Keywords: ethanol; hazing; hemodialysis; pledgers; poisoning.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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