Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (15)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Canning, U.P.
Right arrow Articles by Peters, T.J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Canning, U.P.
Right arrow Articles by Peters, T.J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Q J Med 1999; 92: 319-326
© 1999 Association of Physicians

Substance misuse in acute general medical admissions

U.P. Canning, S.A. Kennell-Webb, E.J. Marshall, S.C. Wessely and T.J. Peters

From the Departments of Psychological Medicine and 1Clinical Biochemistry, King's College Hospital, London, UK

Received 15 July 1998 and in revised form 15 April 1999

Dr E.J. Marshall, National Addiction Centre, 4 Windsor Walk, Camberwell, London SE5 8AF

We conducted a prevalence study of current substance misuse amongst acute general medical admissions, and compared the sociodemographic profile of this group of patients with total admissions and the local catchment population. Patients were included in the study if they were resident in the Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham (LSL) Health Commission catchment area and were aged between 18 and 85 years. The prevalence of non-dependent misuse was of particular interest. Of 2988 acute admissions, 609 (20%) were identified as misusing alcohol and/or drugs, 277 (9%) being identified by the admitting doctor and 332 (11%) being identified by means of a Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire (HLQ) which included the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The majority 437 (72%) of the identified patients had an alcohol problem. A smaller proportion, 116 (19%) were currently using illegal drugs and 56 (9%) were polydrug users. Compared with patients who misused either drugs or alcohol, alcohol misusers were more likely to be older and Irish, whereas users of illegal drugs were more likely to be younger and Black. Significantly more `at risk' drinkers were identified by the AUDIT questionnaire than by the admitting doctor. This study supports the policy of routine screening for health-damaging behaviours and the implementation of health promotion strategies in general hospitals.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Emerg. Med. J.Home page
R Patton, J Strang, C Birtles, and M J Crawford
Alcohol: a missed opportunity. A survey of all accident and emergency departments in England
Emerg. Med. J., August 1, 2007; 24(8): 529 - 531.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Alcohol AlcoholHome page
J. M. DOLMAN and N. D. HAWKES
COMBINING THE AUDIT QUESTIONNAIRE AND BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS TO ASSESS ALCOHOL USE AND RISK OF ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL IN MEDICAL INPATIENTS
Alcohol Alcohol., November 1, 2005; 40(6): 515 - 519.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.