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Alcohol-related emergency department admissions in an elderly population

(2019) ACTA CLINICA BELGICA. 74(3). p.194-199
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Organization
Abstract
Objective: Alcohol abuse remains a major health concern. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of alcohol-related emergency department (ED) admissions in an elderly population. Methods: Between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014, we retrospectively analyzed patient charts of patients admitted with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least 0.5 g/L to the EDs of all five hospitals in two distinct areas. We focused on the population >= 65 years, divided in three subgroups (65-74, 75-84 and >= 85, respectively) and compared them to the 55-64 year group. Results: Of the 3918 included patients 645 (16.5%) were between 55 and 64, and 406 (10.4%) were >= 65 years (65-74: 267, 6.8%; 75-84: 128, 3.3%; >= 85: 11, 0.3%). The male-to-female ratio ranged between 2.1:1 and 2.7:1. BACs decreased with increasing age. In all age groups the majority of patients (71.0-77.8%) were transported by emergency medical services. The chief presenting complaint was trauma and its relative importance increased with age. Contextual factors consisted mostly of chronic abuse (43.1-57.8%). Most frequently patients could be discharged within 24 h, although hospital admission rates increased with age. Conclusion: Our study shows that alcohol-related ED admissions in the elderly are common, but less frequent than in younger age groups. More (preferentially prospective) studies are needed to give more insight in the living environment, prescription medication, socioeconomic cost, etc. Nonetheless, it is clear that a national action plan should be developed to tackle the alcohol abuse problem in all age groups.
Keywords
Alcohol, intoxication, elderly, geriatrics, emergency department, SCREENING-TEST ASSIST, USE DISORDERS, DRINKING, SMOKING, VERSION, ABUSE, DRUG

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MLA
Vanschoenbeek, Giel, et al. “Alcohol-Related Emergency Department Admissions in an Elderly Population.” ACTA CLINICA BELGICA, vol. 74, no. 3, 2019, pp. 194–99, doi:10.1080/17843286.2018.1482039.
APA
Vanschoenbeek, G., Hautekiet, T., Calle, S., Cornelis, C., François, H., Hautekiet, A., … Calle, P. (2019). Alcohol-related emergency department admissions in an elderly population. ACTA CLINICA BELGICA, 74(3), 194–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/17843286.2018.1482039
Chicago author-date
Vanschoenbeek, Giel, Thor Hautekiet, Simon Calle, Charlotte Cornelis, Heleen François, Arne Hautekiet, Nora Sundahl, et al. 2019. “Alcohol-Related Emergency Department Admissions in an Elderly Population.” ACTA CLINICA BELGICA 74 (3): 194–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/17843286.2018.1482039.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Vanschoenbeek, Giel, Thor Hautekiet, Simon Calle, Charlotte Cornelis, Heleen François, Arne Hautekiet, Nora Sundahl, Peter De Paepe, Dieter Devriese, Koen De Graeve, Jorn Damen, and Paul Calle. 2019. “Alcohol-Related Emergency Department Admissions in an Elderly Population.” ACTA CLINICA BELGICA 74 (3): 194–199. doi:10.1080/17843286.2018.1482039.
Vancouver
1.
Vanschoenbeek G, Hautekiet T, Calle S, Cornelis C, François H, Hautekiet A, et al. Alcohol-related emergency department admissions in an elderly population. ACTA CLINICA BELGICA. 2019;74(3):194–9.
IEEE
[1]
G. Vanschoenbeek et al., “Alcohol-related emergency department admissions in an elderly population,” ACTA CLINICA BELGICA, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 194–199, 2019.
@article{8628192,
  abstract     = {{Objective: Alcohol abuse remains a major health concern. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of alcohol-related emergency department (ED) admissions in an elderly population.
Methods: Between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014, we retrospectively analyzed patient charts of patients admitted with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least 0.5 g/L to the EDs of all five hospitals in two distinct areas. We focused on the population >= 65 years, divided in three subgroups (65-74, 75-84 and >= 85, respectively) and compared them to the 55-64 year group.
Results: Of the 3918 included patients 645 (16.5%) were between 55 and 64, and 406 (10.4%) were >= 65 years (65-74: 267, 6.8%; 75-84: 128, 3.3%; >= 85: 11, 0.3%). The male-to-female ratio ranged between 2.1:1 and 2.7:1. BACs decreased with increasing age. In all age groups the majority of patients (71.0-77.8%) were transported by emergency medical services. The chief presenting complaint was trauma and its relative importance increased with age. Contextual factors consisted mostly of chronic abuse (43.1-57.8%). Most frequently patients could be discharged within 24 h, although hospital admission rates increased with age.
Conclusion: Our study shows that alcohol-related ED admissions in the elderly are common, but less frequent than in younger age groups. More (preferentially prospective) studies are needed to give more insight in the living environment, prescription medication, socioeconomic cost, etc. Nonetheless, it is clear that a national action plan should be developed to tackle the alcohol abuse problem in all age groups.}},
  author       = {{Vanschoenbeek, Giel and Hautekiet, Thor and Calle, Simon and Cornelis, Charlotte and François, Heleen and Hautekiet, Arne and Sundahl, Nora and De Paepe, Peter and Devriese, Dieter and De Graeve, Koen and Damen, Jorn and Calle, Paul}},
  issn         = {{1784-3286}},
  journal      = {{ACTA CLINICA BELGICA}},
  keywords     = {{Alcohol,intoxication,elderly,geriatrics,emergency department,SCREENING-TEST ASSIST,USE DISORDERS,DRINKING,SMOKING,VERSION,ABUSE,DRUG}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{194--199}},
  title        = {{Alcohol-related emergency department admissions in an elderly population}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1080/17843286.2018.1482039}},
  volume       = {{74}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}

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