Alcohol hospital admissions on rise
There are now almost 240 hospital admissions per day in England for which an alcohol-related diagnosis is the main reason for the patient attending hospital.The latest figures, for 2006-2007, show 87,000 admissions to English hospitals for which alcohol was the primary cause.Admissions for which alcohol was a secondry, contributary factor are additional to this figure.
These figures continue the trend of increasing numbers of alcohol-related admissions evident from the early 1990s, with a steeper increase occurring from around 2002. However, there is now a suggestion that the increase in admissions may have flattened out or even gone into reverse from around 2005. A levelling off or slight fall in admissions in some groups is consistent with the small decline in the overall level of alcohol consumption that begin in 2005.
The pattern of admissions differs somewhat for males and females and by age. One feature of particular note is that while for most age groups male admissions significantly outnumber female, for the 5 – 14 age group there are now more female admissions.
The same pattern is repeated specifically in relation to admissions for alcohol intoxication and toxic effect of alcohol, the diagnoses giving the clearest indication of the impact of the binge-drinking.
These figures continue the trend of increasing numbers of alcohol-related admissions evident from the early 1990s, with a steeper increase occurring from around 2002. However, there is now a suggestion that the increase in admissions may have flattened out or even gone into reverse from around 2005. A levelling off or slight fall in admissions in some groups is consistent with the small decline in the overall level of alcohol consumption that begin in 2005.
The pattern of admissions differs somewhat for males and females and by age. One feature of particular note is that while for most age groups male admissions significantly outnumber female, for the 5 – 14 age group there are now more female admissions. The same pattern is repeated specifically in relation to admissions for alcohol intoxication and toxic effect of alcohol, the diagnoses giving the clearest indication of the impact of the binge-drinking culture. Here, too, in the 5-14 age group, admissions for girls now out number those of boys.
Notes
- Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, the NHS Information Centre for health and social care. Data supplied to the Institute of Alcohol Studies.
- Cases are periods of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
- Cases are those with an alcohol-related primary diagnosis (see list below). The primary diagnosis provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
The diagnoses included are:
F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol,
G31.2 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol,
G62.1 Alcoholic polyneuropathy,
G72.1 Alcoholic myopathy,
I42.6 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy,
K29.2 Alcoholic gastritis,
K70 Alcoholic liver disease,
K86.0 Alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis,
T51.0 Toxic effect of ethanol,
T51.9 Toxic effect of alcohol, not specified
Graphs of ‘intoxication and toxic effect’ include F10.0,T51.0 and T51.9.