The Psychiatrist (2008) 32: 452-454. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.107.017616
© 2008 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Pharmacological management of alcohol withdrawal in a general hospital

Siobhain Quinn, Consultant Psychiatrist in Old Age and Liaison Psychiatry

Farnham Road Hospital, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7LX, email: squinn{at}live.co.uk

Rani Samuel, Specialist Registrar in Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Sutton Hospital, Sutton

Jim Bolton, Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist

St Helier Hospital, Carshalton

Borislav Iankov, ST5 in General Adult Psychiatry

Weller Wing, Bedford Hospital, Bedford

Anna Stout, Specialist Registrar in General Adult Mental Health

SouthWest Sector Community Mental HealthTeam, London.

Declaration of interest

None.

The online Journal has been corrected post-publication in deviation from print and in accordance a correction to be printed in the February 2009 issue.

AIMS AND METHOD

To assess the quality of prescriptions for alcohol detoxification and vitamin prophylaxis for in-patients who were alcohol-dependent in a general hospital, before and after the introduction of prescribing guidelines. We assessed 27 prescription charts before and 22 after intervention against standards based on national guidelines.

RESULTS

There was an increase of 43% (95% CI 20–65%) in the proportion of alcohol detoxification prescriptions that met the guidelines. For vitamin prophylaxis there was an increase of 64% (95% CI 42–85%).

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The pharmacological management of alcohol withdrawal in the general hospital can be significantly improved by promoting and making readily available a prescribing guideline. In turn, this may reduce alcohol-related brain damage.




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Alcohol and the general hospital
Susan Gilfillan, et al.
The Psychiatrist Online, 19 Dec 2008 [Full text]