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Substance use in the general hospital
Christos Kouimtsidis1, Martina Reynolds, Mary Hunt
1Department of Addictive Behaviour and Psychological Medicine, St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, Tooting, London SW17 0RE, UK. depad@sghms.ac.uk
Addictive Behaviors
|March 12, 2003
Summary
Substance misuse is common in general hospitals, with significant numbers of patients misusing alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. Comprehensive screening is crucial as misuse often co-occurs and complicates patient care.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Public health
- Clinical practice
Background:
- Substance misuse is prevalent in healthcare settings.
- It complicates medical diagnosis and patient management.
- Understanding its prevalence in hospitals is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine the prevalence of substance misuse in general hospital inpatients.
- Investigate the link between medical diagnoses and substance misuse identified via screening.
- Assess current screening practices for substance misuse in hospitals.
Main Methods:
- Prospective questionnaire survey, interviews, and case note reviews were employed.
- Adult patients admitted to a London teaching hospital over one week were included.
- A three-step screening approach was utilized.
Main Results:
- Seventy percent of patients completed the questionnaire.
- Current smoking was reported by 23%, alcohol misuse by 14%, and drug misuse by 12%.
- Screening rates were low: 65% for smoking, 54% for alcohol, and 9% for other substances.
Conclusions:
- Patients misusing one substance are likely to misuse others, necessitating universal screening.
- Physicians screened only a small patient subset, intervening primarily in severe cases.
- Comprehensive screening for all substances is essential for effective patient care.