The Impact of Alcohol-Related Problems on the Emergency Department Workload

酒精相關問題對急診作業負擔之影響

蔡哲宏(Jeffrey Tsai) ； 丁毅(Yih Ting) ； 胡勝川(Sheng-Chuan Hu) ； 顏鴻章(David H.T. Yen)

《中華民國急救加護醫學會雜誌》 15卷1期 (2004/03) Pp. 1-8

https://doi.org/10.30018/JECCM.200403.0001

摘要

Background: In order to determine the impact of alcohol-related problems (ARPs) on the emergency department (ED) workload, we conducted a prospective investigation to demonstrate the clinical presentations and outcomes of patients with ARPs, and to evaluate which factors influenced the impacts of ARPs on the ED.
Methods: Emergency patients were included if the clinical diagnosis or injury was attributed to an acute alcohol effect, due to an acute illness or acute complication of a chronic disease related to chronic alcohol abuse, or due to alcohol-related violence.
Results: Among the 196 emergency patients with ARPs, 105 (53.6%) were for alcohol-related injuries (ARIs), and 91 (46.4%) for alcohol-related non-injuries (ARNIs). Fifty-nine patients (30.1%) were intoxicated, with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeding 100 mg/dl, and 73.2% of patients who responded to questions on drinking behaviors admitted drinking at least once a week. Over 1/2 of the patients visited the ED during 00:00 to 08:00, and 1/3 were admitted. Patients with ARPs had a 2-fold higher rate of hospital admission (32.1% vs. 16.1%, p＜0.0l) and rate of admission to the intensive care unit (8.4% vs. 3.8%, p＜0.0l). Of all patients, 13 (6.6%) interfered with the ED work. Intoxicated patients were 15 times more likely to interfere with the ED work, and the average ED stay was longer for intoxicated patients (247.3 vs. 138.2 mi p＜0.0l).
Conclusion: ARPs pose a major burden on the ED, especially on night shift personnel, and among intoxicated patients. Caution should be exercised, and patients highly likely to cause trouble in the ED should be identified, such as those with a BAC exceeding 100 mg/dl.

關鍵字

酒精 ； 急診 ； 工作負擔 ； 外傷

並列摘要

Background: In order to determine the impact of alcohol-related problems (ARPs) on the emergency department (ED) workload, we conducted a prospective investigation to demonstrate the clinical presentations and outcomes of patients with ARPs, and to evaluate which factors influenced the impacts of ARPs on the ED.
Methods: Emergency patients were included if the clinical diagnosis or injury was attributed to an acute alcohol effect, due to an acute illness or acute complication of a chronic disease related to chronic alcohol abuse, or due to alcohol-related violence.
Results: Among the 196 emergency patients with ARPs, 105 (53.6%) were for alcohol-related injuries (ARIs), and 91 (46.4%) for alcohol-related non-injuries (ARNIs). Fifty-nine patients (30.1%) were intoxicated, with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeding 100 mg/dl, and 73.2% of patients who responded to questions on drinking behaviors admitted drinking at least once a week. Over 1/2 of the patients visited the ED during 00:00 to 08:00, and 1/3 were admitted. Patients with ARPs had a 2-fold higher rate of hospital admission (32.1% vs. 16.1%, p＜0.0l) and rate of admission to the intensive care unit (8.4% vs. 3.8%, p＜0.0l). Of all patients, 13 (6.6%) interfered with the ED work. Intoxicated patients were 15 times more likely to interfere with the ED work, and the average ED stay was longer for intoxicated patients (247.3 vs. 138.2 mi p＜0.0l).
Conclusion: ARPs pose a major burden on the ED, especially on night shift personnel, and among intoxicated patients. Caution should be exercised, and patients highly likely to cause trouble in the ED should be identified, such as those with a BAC exceeding 100 mg/dl.

並列關鍵字

alcohol ； emergency department ； wrokload ； injury