Which of the following products should be avoided by a patient taking Antabuse?

Antabuse, also known as disulfiram, is a medication used to support the treatment of chronic alcoholism by producing an acute sensitivity to ethanol (alcohol). When a person taking Antabuse consumes alcohol, it leads to unpleasant reactions, including flushing, nausea, vomiting, and palpitations, which discourage the patient from drinking alcohol.

Patients taking Antabuse should avoid any products that contain alcohol, as even small amounts can trigger these severe reactions. Hand sanitizer is particularly concerning because it can contain a significant percentage of alcohol; using it can inadvertently expose the patient to enough ethanol to elicit a reaction.

In contrast, regular shampoo and fruit juice generally do not contain significant amounts of alcohol and are considered safe for patients on Antabuse. Water, being a non-alcoholic substance, poses no risk at all. Thus, the correct identification of hand sanitizer as a product to avoid emphasizes the need for patients on Antabuse to carefully scrutinize all products they use, ensuring they do not contain alcohol.