One of the country’s busiest hospitals has seen a 30% drop in the number of alcohol-related admissions to its intensive care unit.
The study, conducted in St James’s Hospital ICU over a six-month period, said the reason for the fall was “unclear”, but said it could be linked to decreased alcohol consumption and greater public awareness.
The authors said serious health problems caused by alcohol continue to be “a significant burden of care” for the ICU — with its 23 patients at the time of the study costing up to €760,000.
Research by the hospital’s department of anaesthesia and intensive care medicine compared alcohol-related admissions in 2013 to a previous audit in 2008.
It identified 23 people who were admitted for alcohol in 2013, compared to 33 in 2008.
The study was published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science.
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 24/02/15
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