Cj. Cherpitel et al., ALCOHOL-RELATED HEALTH-SERVICES USE AND IDENTIFICATION OF PATIENTS INTHE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, Annals of emergency medicine, 28(4), 1996, pp. 418-423
Study objective: To determine the relationship between alcohol-related
emergency department visits and alcohol-related outpatient visits and
the extent of identification and referral of these ED patients for al
cohol treatment. Methods: A representative sample of ED patients in th
ree medical centers of a large northern California health maintenance
organization were interviewed and given breath alcohol rests, and thei
r medical records were reviewed. An alcohol-related ED visit was defin
ed as a visit meeting one or more of the following criteria: positive
breath alcohol test result (.01 mg/dl or more), report of drinking in
the 6 hours before the presenting injury or illness, ED visit for an a
lcohol-related problem, and a medical record notation of excessive alc
ohol use or an alcohol problem. Results: Among 988 ED patients, 91 wer
e found to have an alcohol-related ED visit. Of the 91, 6 made an alco
hol-related outpatient visit in the 12 months before the ED visit, and
10 made such a visit in the following 6 months. Among the 91 patients
, 10 were identified as having an alcohol problem by the ED staff, and
1 was referred for alcohol treatment. Conclusion: The ED is an import
ant point for the early identification and referral for treatment of a
lcohol-dependent and problem drinkers. The patient may make an alcohol
-related ED visit relatively early in the pattern of alcohol-related h
ealth care use.