Mortality in alcoholics related to clinical state at first admission. A study of 537 deaths

The Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Lund, is in possession of systematic clinical ratings from 1949 to 1969 based on a multi-dimensional diagnostic schedule. All 1312 first-admitted patients (120 women) from the county who were rated as "chronic alcohol intoxication" were followed up until 31 December, 1980. Of 537 deaths, 495 were male compared with an expected number of 198 in the general population standardized for age and sex (2.5 X), and 42 were female compared with eight expected (5.1 X). The frequency of liver cirrhosis as primary cause of death compared with that of the general mortality was 4.3 times more in men and 60 times more in women. Those who died from liver cirrhosis and alcohol-induced neoplasms were at first admission more often married and had a more continuous drinking pattern than the remaining alcoholics.