Changing pattern of alcohol abuse in female acute medical admissions.

Changing pattern of alcohol abuse in female acute medical admissions The importance of alcoholism and alcohol related illness is well documented , and patterns of hospital admission reflect the growing problem .' Contemporary reports indicate that drinking problems are increasing in women and must therefore create a considerable drain on National Health Service resources. In 1979 Lennox and Tait found that 150°, of female emergency admissions to a general medical unit were due or partly due to alcohol.2 This study, performed five years later, in the same medical unit, at the same time of year, was under-taken to identify any changes in the pattern of admissions for alcohol related illness. We studied 482 consecutive female admissions (441 patients) during December 1981 to March 1982. On admission a venous blood sample was taken for blood alcohol estimation. All samples were stored at 4°C until analysed by gas-liquid chromatography.3 Samples could not be obtained in 16 patients, who either died or took irregular discharge shortly after admission. After admission each patient was asked to complete the shortened version of the Michigan alcoholism screening test, which reportedly has the greatest predictive power of all the screening questionnaires.4 The questionnaire was completed in 424 cases (88% of admissions), the remaining patients being unable or unwilling to cooperate. In addition, at the time of discharge each patient's consultant was invited to give his opinion on whether the patient had an alcohol problem.