Alcohol harm in EDs takes a huge toll

By Corin Kelly
Wednesday, 02 December, 2015

“They are often violent and aggressive, make staff feel unsafe and negatively impact on the care of other patients,“ says Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor Diana Egerton-Warburton, lead author of research conducted by Monash University and the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) about people affected by alcohol, presenting at emergency departments.
"One drunk person can disrupt an entire ED", she says.
In the largest study of its kind ever undertaken, eight emergency departments across Australia and New Zealand were monitored over one week in December 2014. Associate Professor Warburton explains that the study found 1 in 12 or 8.3 per cent of all presentations were alcohol-related.
“That equates to more than half a million alcohol-related patients attending EDs every year across Australia and New Zealand. Our study confirms that alcohol is having a huge impact on our emergency departments,” Associate Professor Warburton says, who is also Chair of ACEM’s Public Health Committee.
Over 9600 patients were screened as part of the study, which also found that alcohol-affected patients were more likely to require urgent resuscitation and arrive by ambulance and with police.

One drunk person can disrupt an entire ED

“The sheer volume of alcohol-affected patients means they disrupt EDs more than patients affected by ICE,” she says.
ACEM is calling on Australian and New Zealand governments to introduce firmer measures to limit the availability of alcohol.
“The measures included in the New South Wales ‘lockout’ laws – particularly early closure – have demonstrated beyond doubt that when you reduce availability, you reduce harm,” Associate Professor Warburton says.
“Other jurisdictions should follow NSW and now Queensland in introducing early closing times and reducing the availability of alcohol. Policy makers have the power to reduce the tide of human tragedy from alcohol harm,” she says.
Reference: Original article published by Monash University.