Alcoholism among inpatients in a general hospital in Barcelona, Spain

This cross-sectional study in a general hospital revealed that 37.5% of inpatients were alcoholics, excessive drinkers, or probable alcoholics; when only males were considered, that proportion increased to 61.3%. Most of the physical disorders were associated with the amount of alcohol consumed. The age-adjusted mortality rate in the hospital was three times higher in alcoholics than in nonalcoholics. A large number of alcohol problems were not detected by the patients' medical team. An interview about alcohol and drug consumption, the CAGE, the MAST Brief, and the MALT were utilized to diagnose alcoholism; for our population, the former was shown as the most effective instrument.