title: Prospective study of alcohol-related admissions in an inner-city hospital.
abstract: Of 2598 acute admissions to the intensive therapy unit and medical, surgical, orthopaedic, and casualty wards of a general hospital in London, 313 (12%) were definitely alcohol related. Over half (163) the patients concerned were aged between 14 and 40 and 70% (219) were male. The proportion of alcohol-related admissions varied from 7.2% for a general surgical ward up to 26.3% for the casualty overnight observation ward. Substantially higher than average rates of alcohol-related admission were seen in Irish, Scottish, and Polish patients. Of the 23 deaths in the beds under scrutiny in patients aged 17-60 years, 9 were directly attributable to acute or chronic alcohol abuse.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom