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People who end up in emergency rooms because of alcohol-related problems should receive targeted support, scientists say, after a new study found that these patients are more likely to die in the next 20 years than others who seek emergency care claim.
The new study found that people who visit emergency rooms with alcohol-related illnesses or conditions are more likely to make repeat visits and die in the following two decades than those who end up in emergency rooms for other reasons.
Researchers recruited 194 people for their study who were diagnosed with an alcohol-related problem in 2002 and visited the emergency department at Canberra Hospital in Australia.
They also recruited an additional 194 people who visited the emergency room for another reason.
The team of scientists from Australia followed the patients for 20 years.
They found that people who were initially admitted with an alcohol-related problem made 44% more emergency room visits over the next decade and had a 138% higher mortality rate over the following 20 years.
Professor Drew Richardson from the Australian National University, who presented the study at the European Emergency Medicine Congress in Barcelona, said: “There were a variety of reasons why these patients came to our emergency department, including alcohol withdrawal symptoms, trauma-related injuries, and acute alcohol intoxication.
“If these patients could be cared for by trained professionals during their stay in the emergency department to educate them about the consequences of alcohol consumption and offer them help in moderating their alcohol consumption, it may be possible to reduce this significant health burden.”
“Illusions related to alcohol consumption represent a major burden in emergency rooms.”
Figures from the group Alcohol Change show there were almost one million hospital admissions due to alcohol consumption in England in 2019/20.
But not all of these cases will have been delivered via the emergency room.
We also need to reduce the stigma around alcohol problems, as these can be a major barrier to people seeking support, and we need to prevent people from needing treatment in the first place
Andrew Misell, Alcohol Change UK
Commenting on the study, Andrew Misell, Director of Alcohol Change UK, said: “This study is from Australia but reflects patterns we are also seeing in the UK.”
“It is likely that many of the patients identified by the researchers are frequent hospital visitors with deep and embedded alcohol problems.
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“They are among the most vulnerable people in our communities, and as this study shows, they are likely to get sick more often and die sooner.”
“But with the right training and support, professionals working with at-risk addicted drinkers can better understand the complicated role alcohol plays in their lives and how they can better support them.
“We also need to reduce the stigma surrounding alcohol problems, as these can be a major barrier to people seeking support, and we need to stop people needing treatment in the first place.”
“There are policies the government can introduce now to reduce alcohol harm, such as: “For example, clearer alcohol labeling, proper regulation of alcohol marketing and sustainable funding for alcohol treatment services.”
“These will help improve the lives of so many people and their families.”
Source : www.independent.co.uk