Alcohol-related attendance in an emergency department in a large inner-city hospital was highest in the early morning and on weekends, according to Dr. Kathryn Parkinson of the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and her associates.
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Two cohorts of data were collected at a large city hospital in Northeast England. Data for a retrospective cohort were collected from hospital records, and data for a prospective cohort were collected in person. Overall, prevalence rates for alcohol-related attendance were 12% in the retrospective group and 15% in the prospective group. Attendance varied widely by time in the prospective group: During the middle of the day, the attendance rate was as low as 4%, but rose to 59% between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. The rate rose to nearly 72% during the same period if only weekends were included. Young adults between 18 and 24 were the most likely to attend the ED from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m., but trailed adults aged 25-44 during the rest of the day. Overall, the mean cost for alcohol-related attendance was £249, but increased to £851 if the patient was admitted. Trauma-related injuries were the most common reason for attendance, followed by psychiatric problems, the investigators found.
In a related editorial, Dr. Clifford John Mann of the Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Taunton, England, said “The economic, social, and medical consequences of current alcohol strategies create a compelling argument for improved legislation and regulation of alcohol sales. Such measures would benefit most the current victims of alcohol, with little consequence for those who drink safely.”
Find the full study (doi: 10.1136/emermed-2014-204581) and editorial (doi: 10.1136/emermed-2015-205295) in Emergency Medicine Journal.