Electronic Letters to:

Original papers:
Siobhain Quinn, Rani Samuel, Jim Bolton, Borislav Iankov, and Anna Stout
Pharmacological management of alcohol withdrawal in a general hospital
Psychiatr Bull 2008; 32: 452-454 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
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[Read eLetter] Alcohol and the general hospital
Susan Gilfillan, Michael Götz   (19 December 2008)

Alcohol and the general hospital 19 December 2008
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Susan Gilfillan,
alcohol liaison nurse
Forth Valley,
Michael Götz

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Re: Alcohol and the general hospital

susan.gilfillan{at}nhs.net Susan Gilfillan, et al.

We read the article by Queen et al on the pharmacological management of alcohol withdrawal a general hospital with interest. Forth Valley NHS embarked on a similar development with similarly positive results. However, we addressed two additional problems: firstly, we integrated the prescription of intravenous/intramuscular Vitamin B preparations into the prescription sheet for alcohol detoxification, and secondly, we employed an alcohol liaison nurse who ensured that our guidelines were known and used. A recent casenotes review spanning a 6 months’ period demonstrated that 97% of all patients treated for alcohol withdrawals in our general hospitals received intravenous or intramuscular vitamin B preparations. Giving junior doctors little choice and space for one signature only appears to help.