title: Assessment and management of alcohol-related admissions to UK intensive care units.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The critical care environment has felt the overwhelming impact of the growing problem of alcohol abuse. However, there is ambiguity concerning the assessment and management of this patient group.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore current practice in the use of assessment and management tools for alcohol-related admissions in UK intensive care units (ICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and forty-eight lead consultants across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales were sent an electronic survey using the SurveyMonkey(®) ( www.surveymonkey.com) website.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 103 (41·05%) lead consultants responded to the survey. Most units (67%) utilized the volume of alcohol consumed per week to assess patient alcohol use. Furthermore, 12 units (11%) used the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment tool, 5 units (5%) used the Glasgow Modified Alcohol Withdrawal Scale and 79 units (73%) used no tool for the management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There appears to be a diverse approach to the assessment and management of alcohol-related admissions in UK ICUs. Further research is required in this area to identify the most effective way to assess and manage alcohol-related admissions within intensive care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under recognition and poor assessment of alcohol use can have major implications for critically ill patients.
authors.affiliation: Nursing and Healthcare School, School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LL, UK. Joanne.mcpeake@glasgow.ac.uk
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McPeake
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bateson
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kinsella
mesh_terms: D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000379:methods; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom