title: The effect of stress-reducing, low-dose ethanol infusion on frequency of bleeding complications in long-term alcoholic patients undergoing major surgery.
abstract: Perioperative low-dose ethanol infusion is a feasible option for stress reduction and prophylaxis of alcoholism-associated complications. Because alcohol has inhibitory effects on hemostasis, our study focused on the effect of perioperative low-dose ethanol infusion on bleeding complications, defined as transfused blood units and reoperations, in alcoholic patients undergoing major surgery. We included 44 long-term alcoholic patients scheduled for tumor resection of the aerodigestive and gastrointestinal tract. Patients were randomly assigned to the ethanol or control group. Ethanol infusion (0.5 g ethanol/kg body weight/24 hours) started before surgery and was continued until the postoperative Day 3. Regarding all patients, there was no statistically significant difference in the amount of transfused blood between the ethanol and control groups. However, the effect of ethanol infusion on bleeding complications depended on the site of surgery. Ethanol infusion resulted in an increased number of transfused blood units in gastrointestinal patients and a decreased number of transfused units in patients undergoing tumor resection of the aerodigestive tract. In conclusion, perioperative ethanol infusion in long-term alcoholic patients with tumor resections of the aerodigestive tract is an option for stress reduction without increased risk for blood transfusion. In contrast, ethanol infusion in patients with tumor resections in the gastrointestinal tract could increase the risk for bleeding complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schoenfeld
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Von Heymann
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Doerte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krocker
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neuner
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schink
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwenk
authors.forename: Claudia D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Spies
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D012142:Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol