Alcohol is a flammable liquid and should be kept cool and away from any heat source. Alcohol injections should be made with care to avoid unwanted tissue necrosis. Proper positioning of the patient is essential to control localization of injections of dehydrated alcohol (which is hypobaric) into the subarachnoid space.

Do not administer unless solution is clear and container is intact. Discard unused portion.

It is sometimes advisable to make a trial injection of procaine or other local anesthetic prior to alcohol injection as a means of confirming accurate placement of the needle, and to decrease pain experienced during the procedure. X-ray visualization for precise placement also may be advisable.

When used for selective sensory block within the subarachnoid space, it is essential to avoid contact of the alcohol with the anterior (motor) roots of the spinal nerve to be treated if motor paralysis is not desired. When peripheral nerves are injected, care should be taken that residual alcohol is not deposited along the needle track or in any other locations where tissue destruction is not wanted. Instances have been reported in which the pain resulting from post-injection neuritis was more severe than that existing before the injection.

Pregnancy Category C

Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with dehydrated alcohol. It is also not known whether dehydrated alcohol can cause fetal harm when given to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Dehydrated alcohol should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

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