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dc.contributor.authorPopoola, A
dc.contributor.authorKeating, A
dc.contributor.authorCassidy, E
dc.date.accessioned2012-02-03T15:13:58Z
dc.date.available2012-02-03T15:13:58Z
dc.date.issued2012-02-03T15:13:58Z
dc.identifier.citationIr J Med Sci. 2008 Jun;177(2):141-5. Epub 2008 Feb 19.en_GB
dc.identifier.issn1863-4362 (Electronic)en_GB
dc.identifier.issn0021-1265 (Linking)en_GB
dc.identifier.pmid18283510en_GB
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s11845-008-0135-1en_GB
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10147/209164
dc.description.abstractAIM: To examine the role of alcohol and alcohol-related cognitive impairment in the clinical presentation of adults in-patients less than 65 years who are 'hard to discharge' in a general hospital. METHOD: Retrospective medical file review of inpatients in CUH referred to the discharge coordinator between March and September 2006. RESULTS: Of 46 patients identified, the case notes of 44 (25 male; age was 52.2 +/- 7.7 years) were reviewed. The average length of stay in the hospital was 84.0 +/- 72.3 days and mean lost bed days was 15.9 +/- 36.6 days. The number of patients documented to have an overt alcohol problem was 15 (34.1%). Patients with alcohol problems were more likely to have cognitive impairment than those without an alcohol problem [12 (80%) and 9 (31%) P = 0.004]. Patients with alcohol problems had a shorter length of stay (81.5 vs. 85.3 days; t = 0.161, df = 42, P = 0.87), fewer lost bed days (8.2 vs. 19.2 days; Mann-Whitney U = 179, P = 0.34) and no mortality (0 vs. 6) compared with hard to discharge patients without alcohol problem. CONCLUSION: Alcohol problems and alcohol-related cognitive impairment are hugely over-represented in acute hospital in-patients who are hard to discharge. Despite these problems, this group appears to have reduced morbidity, less lost bed days and a better outcome than other categories of hard to discharge patients. There is a need to resource acute hospitals to address alcohol-related morbidity in general and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome in particular.
dc.language.isoengen_GB
dc.subject.meshAlcohol Drinking/*epidemiology/therapyen_GB
dc.subject.meshAlcoholism/*epidemiologyen_GB
dc.subject.meshCausalityen_GB
dc.subject.meshCognition Disorders/*epidemiologyen_GB
dc.subject.meshComorbidityen_GB
dc.subject.meshFemaleen_GB
dc.subject.meshHumansen_GB
dc.subject.meshIreland/epidemiologyen_GB
dc.subject.meshKorsakoff Syndrome/*epidemiologyen_GB
dc.subject.meshLength of Stay/*statistics & numerical dataen_GB
dc.subject.meshMaleen_GB
dc.subject.meshMiddle Ageden_GB
dc.subject.meshPatient Discharge/*statistics & numerical dataen_GB
dc.subject.meshRetrospective Studiesen_GB
dc.titleAlcohol, cognitive impairment and the hard to discharge acute hospital inpatients.en_GB
dc.contributor.departmentProfessorial Psychiatric Unit, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland., dr_abraham2k1@yahoo.co.uken_GB
dc.identifier.journalIrish journal of medical scienceen_GB
dc.description.provinceMunster
html.description.abstractAIM: To examine the role of alcohol and alcohol-related cognitive impairment in the clinical presentation of adults in-patients less than 65 years who are 'hard to discharge' in a general hospital. METHOD: Retrospective medical file review of inpatients in CUH referred to the discharge coordinator between March and September 2006. RESULTS: Of 46 patients identified, the case notes of 44 (25 male; age was 52.2 +/- 7.7 years) were reviewed. The average length of stay in the hospital was 84.0 +/- 72.3 days and mean lost bed days was 15.9 +/- 36.6 days. The number of patients documented to have an overt alcohol problem was 15 (34.1%). Patients with alcohol problems were more likely to have cognitive impairment than those without an alcohol problem [12 (80%) and 9 (31%) P = 0.004]. Patients with alcohol problems had a shorter length of stay (81.5 vs. 85.3 days; t = 0.161, df = 42, P = 0.87), fewer lost bed days (8.2 vs. 19.2 days; Mann-Whitney U = 179, P = 0.34) and no mortality (0 vs. 6) compared with hard to discharge patients without alcohol problem. CONCLUSION: Alcohol problems and alcohol-related cognitive impairment are hugely over-represented in acute hospital in-patients who are hard to discharge. Despite these problems, this group appears to have reduced morbidity, less lost bed days and a better outcome than other categories of hard to discharge patients. There is a need to resource acute hospitals to address alcohol-related morbidity in general and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome in particular.


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