Screening and brief interventions for reducing alcohol consumption in patients admitted to an emergency department

Abstract

Background: Emergency departments (ED) admit the largest number of individuals presenting any type of injury directly or indirectly related to harmful alcohol consumption. A potential emergency episode may be the key moment for a change in the consumption pattern. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of brief interventions (BI) in reducing alcohol consumption to low-risk levels in patients admitted to an ED. Methodology: A pre-experimental study, with one-group pretest-posttest design, was conducted. A total of 215 interviews were performed to a non-randomized sample of 9 patients with harmful or hazardous risk consumption assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). BI were performed by a nurse with specific training. Results: Three patients were referred for consultation due to likely alcohol use disorder. At the 3-month follow-up, a statistically significant reduction in risk levels was observed (p = 0.0017). Conclusion: The results suggest a positive effect of BI in reducing alcohol consumption to low-risk levels in patients admitted to the ED.