Home > Alcohol-related deaths put strain on hospitals.

[Irish Medical Times] , Mudiwa, Lloyd Alcohol-related deaths put strain on hospitals. (26 Nov 2010)

External website: http://www.imt.ie/news/latest-news/2010/11/alcohol...

Alcohol-related discharges accounted for 161,016 of all bed days at a cost of €143,143,224 in one year alone and 1,899 hospital deaths over four years, according to a new study from the Health Research Board (HRB).

The study, entitled ‘The Burden of Alcohol-Related Morbidity on Hospital Services’ and carried out by HRB Research Officer Deirdre Mongan, does not include presentations to emergency departments. “We can conclude therefore that the actual burden of alcohol on acute Irish hospitals is substantially higher,” it said.

Between 2005 and 2008, the number of alcohol-related discharges increased by 22 per cent, with males accounting for 74 per cent and females for 26 per cent of all discharges (68,565). The average length of stay in 2008 was nine days and alcohol-related discharges accounted for 3.6 per cent (161,016) of all bed days.

 

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