A national service evaluation of the impact of alcohol on admissions to Scottish intensive care units.
Alcohol-related disease adversely affects the outcome of critically ill patients. The burden of this in Scotland is higher than elsewhere in the United Kingdom. In a prospective observational study of all patients admitted to the 24 intensive care units in Scotland we assessed the proportion of admissions in which alcohol-related disease was implicated. Of 771 admissions, 642 (83.3%) were unplanned and 196 (25.4%) were related to alcohol. There was a significantly higher proportion of men in the alcohol-related admissions group (140 (71.4%) vs 291 (50.6%), p=0.009). This group was also significantly younger with median (IQR [range]) ages of 51 (38-63 [16-89]) vs 63 (48-73 [16-92]) years (p<0.001). The alcohol-related group had a significantly longer period of ventilation with a median (IQR [range]) of 2 (1-6 [0-176]) vs 1 (0-4 [0-136]) days (p<0.005). Admissions from an area of deprivation were more likely to be related to alcohol. Alcohol-related admissions have a significant impact on Scottish intensive care services, with an extrapolated cost of £8.9 million per year.
Department of Anaesthesia, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, UK. t.geary@nhs.net
T
T
Geary
P
P
O'Brien
S
S
Ramsay
B
B
Cook
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult