Use of health care resources in relation to harmful alcohol use prior to intensive care unit admission

ABSTRACT

Background

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of health care resources prior to ICU admission in relation to harmful alcohol use.

Methods

Retrospective study of 840 non-traumatic ICU admissions. National registry of usage of health care resources during a 4-year period was used.

Results

A total of 262 (31.1%) patients were identified as harmful alcohol users. They were more often males and were younger compared to non-alcohol group. Patients in the harmful alcohol use group had a higher rate of specialist health care admissions prior to ICU admission due to gastrointestinal causes and traumas compared to non-alcohol group (34.7% vs 26.8%, P < .005 and 35.1% vs 21.3%, P < .001, respectively). Patients in the alcohol group had also more alcohol-related visits to primary health care system and hospital ward visits compared to the non-alcohol group (21.4% vs 0.5%, P < .001 and 11.5% vs 0.2%, P < .001, respectively). There were no differences in the crude health care costs per patient nor crude hospital mortality between the study groups.

Conclusions

Patients with harmful alcohol use had more admissions due to traumas and gastrointestinal causes during the 4-year period prior to the ICU admission.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol
• intensive care
• health care resources

Acknowledgments

The authors received funding for the study from The Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies and Finnish Medical Society Duodecim.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Finnish Foundation for Alcohol studies; Suomalainen Lääkäriseura Duodecim.