Assessment and management of alcohol-related admissions to UK intensive care units

作者：McPeake Joanne^*; Bateson Meghan; O' Neill Anna; Kinsella John

来源：Nursing in Critical Care, 2013, 18(4): 187-192.

DOI：10.1111/nicc.12006

• Alcohol
• Assessment
• Intensive care unit
• Management
• Survey

Background The critical care environment has felt the overwhelming impact of the growing problem of alcohol abuse. However, there is ambiguity concerning the assessment and management of this patient group. Aim The aim of this study was to explore current practice in the use of assessment and management tools for alcohol-related admissions in UK intensive care units (ICU). Methods Two hundred and forty-eight lead consultants across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales were sent an electronic survey using the SurveyMonkey (R) ( www.surveymonkey.com) website. Results A total of 103 (41 center dot 05%) lead consultants responded to the survey. Most units (67%) utilized the volume of alcohol consumed per week to assess patient alcohol use. Furthermore, 12 units (11%) used the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment tool, 5 units (5%) used the Glasgow Modified Alcohol Withdrawal Scale and 79 units (73%) used no tool for the management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Conclusion There appears to be a diverse approach to the assessment and management of alcohol-related admissions in UK ICUs. Further research is required in this area to identify the most effective way to assess and manage alcohol-related admissions within intensive care. Relevance to clinical practice Under recognition and poor assessment of alcohol use can have major implications for critically ill patients.

• 出版日期2013-7