Screening Needed for Alcohol-Use Disorders
Posted on: Thursday, 28 June 2007, 12:06 CDT
Patients with an alcohol-use disorder are more likely to require mechanical ventilation, and/or need it for longer than those without, says a U.S. study.
More than 300,000 patients a year receive mechanical ventilation during intensive care in the United States, even though the hospital mortality rate for ventilated patients can approach 50 percent, according to corresponding study author Marjolein de Wit of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
De Wit recommended that clinicians screen all medical intensive-care patients for alcohol-use disorders, being mindful that patients with alcohol-use disorders may develop complications -- such as alcohol withdrawal, ventilator-associated pneumonia and possibly acute respiratory distress syndrome.
In addition, patients should inform their healthcare providers about their alcohol consumption or if they have developed symptoms of alcohol withdrawal or delirium tremens so that healthcare providers tailor patient care more appropriately, according to the study published in the July issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Source: United Press International
Related Articles
- The Quantum Group Joins Executive Committee of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative
- Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative Statement on Passage of Medicare Bill
- Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative Releases New Guidelines for Health Care Purchasers
- Aetna Statement In Support Of Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative
- Study Finds Amendment 2 Will Benefit Hundreds of Thousands of Patients, Reduce Health Care Costs and Boost Economy
- SinoFresh Reports Patient Case Study: Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis in Adult Male With History of Sinus Conditions
- Brigham and Women's Hospital Study Shows Doctors Are Taking Action to Improve Patient Safety and Care
- Healthcare Leaders Applaud New HCAHPS Survey; NQF Releases First Ever Nationally Standardized Patient Perception of Care Survey
- Genentech Stops Enrolling Patients in Study
- The Effect of Irbesartan in Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in Hypertensive Type 2 Diabetic Patients: an Observational Study in 16 600 Patients in Primary Care
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds