title: Prevalence of folate deficiency in emergency department patients with alcohol-related illness or injury.
abstract: To assess the prevalence of folate deficiency in emergency department patients with alcohol-related illness or injury, a prospective, nonconsecutive case series with nonrandomized controls was used. All patients presenting to a 60,000-visit public hospital emergency department with alcohol-related illness or injury were eligible; patients were excluded if they had received folate in our health care facility within the previous 4 months. An alcohol and brief dietary history was obtained, and a complete blood cell count and red blood cell folate level was performed on each patient. Analysis was undertaken by chi 2 to evaluate the prevalence of folate deficiency in the alcohol-related versus the control population. One hundred three patients were entered into the study. Three patients were subsequently excluded from analysis. Of 52 study patients, three (5.8%) were found to be folate deficient. Of 48 controls, two (4.2%) were found to be folate deficient. This difference is not statistically significant (P greater than .05, chi 2; mean difference 1.6%, 95% confidence interval -6.9% to 10.1%). The prevalence of folate deficiency in patients presenting to this emergency department with alcohol-related illness or injury is low, and does not differ from the general emergency department population. Empiric folate therapy in these patients is not indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22908.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Powers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid