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Assessment and management of alcohol-related admissions to UK intensive care units
Joanne McPeake1, Meghan Bateson, Anna O'Neill
1Nursing and Healthcare School, School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LL, UK. Joanne.mcpeake@glasgow.ac.uk
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.
Aim:
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.
Conclusion:
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.
Relevance To Clinical Practice:
Under recognition and poor assessment of alcohol use can have major implications for critically ill patients.
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