Alcohol drinking among emergency patients--alcometer use and documentation.
OBJECTIVE
To measure physicians' use of the alcometer (breath analysis test) and their documentation of alcohol-related findings among their patients.


METHODS
Over one weekend, during which 100 adults attended the emergency clinic of a university hospital, data were collected on patients' alcohol consumption, physicians' use of an alcometer and alcohol-related documentation. Heavy drinkers were defined by the patient's response to a written questionnaire: Five-Shot total score >or=3 points, and/or >or=7 drinks per one occasion.


RESULTS
The questionnaire was filled in by 96 patients; 26 (27%) were heavy drinkers. The alcometer was used in 7% of patients including 5 of 26 (19%) of the heavy drinkers. For only 12/26 (46%) heavy drinkers was there written information on alcohol use in the medical record. For 6 of the 20 patients whose visit was primarily considered by the physician to be alcohol-related, no documentation on alcohol appeared in the records. When documentation was present, drinking quantities were not usually recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
It is a challenge to increase the emergency clinic staff's activity in detection and documenting alcohol abuse.
Seppä
Kaija
K
Department of General Practice, Tampere University, Finland. mekase@uta.fi
Lahtinen
Tuija
T
Antila
Susanna
S
Aalto
Mauri
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology