04 Jul 09
Alcohol and anaesthesia
By R Chapman and F Plaat
Cont Edu Anaesth Crit Care & Pain 2009;9:10-13
Two-thirds of adults in England drink alcohol on a weekly basis, and 30% drink more than the recommended daily level. Among children, 46% of 15 yr olds and 3% of 11 yr olds admit to drinking periodically
Alcohol misuse is estimated to cost the NHS £3 billion per year. Alcohol-related disease was the primary or secondary diagnosis for over 180 000 NHS hospital admissions in 2004/2005. This includes a doubling in the number of admissions for alcoholic liver disease over the past 10 yr. Casualties in road traffic accidents involving a driver over the legal limit for alcohol numbered 17 000 in 2004, representing 6% of the total and including 590 fatalities. Twelve per cent of A&E attendances are for alcohol-related problems, and 22% of attendees have recently consumed alcohol. Risk of injury is greatest with episodic, heavy drinking, a pattern that is increasing in Britain.
The high prevalence of alcohol-related disease means that the anaesthetist will frequently encounter such patients and must consider both the acute and chronic effects of alcohol consumption.