Blood glucose after ethanol monitoring of irrigating fluid absorption in transurethral surgery

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of alcohol-induced hypoglycaemia from the use of irrigating fluids containing ethanol in transurethral surgery. In the first part of the study, seven healthy male volunteers, aged between 26 and 36, received 1000 ml of irrigating fluid by intravenous infusion. The results confirm the existence of an alcohol-induced decrease in blood glucose when ethanol is given together with 1.5% glycine. In the second part of the study, 40 patients, between 56 and 88 years of age, underwent epidural anaesthesia and a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in which the irrigating fluid used contained 1.5% glycine and either 1% or 2% ethanol. The results suggest that the use of ethanol-containing irrigating fluids is often followed by a slight reduction of the blood glucose level, but the magnitude of this change is too small to be of clinical importance.