Holden John, Tatham David, Wooff Emma
Garswood Surgery, Garswood, Lancashire, UK.
Eur J Gen Pract. 2007;13(2):55-9. doi: 10.1080/13814780600881284.
To describe the pattern of diagnosis of 368 patients with alcohol problems in one general practice in northwest England.
Records were searched retrospectively, and notes were made prospectively from 1996, of all patients who either admitted to drinking more than 50 units per week (men) or 35 units per week (women), or with other mention of "alcohol problems". Any such record was considered to constitute an "alcohol problem". The interval between first presentation, using a standard problem list, and the date of identification of an alcohol problem was noted in both time and number of general practice consultations.
292 patients (79%) were diagnosed in the practice, 51 (14%) in hospital, nine (2%) in a previous general practice, and 16 (4%) elsewhere. Thirty-nine per cent of patients were identified before the age of 35. Men were identified significantly quicker than women, and alcohol problems have been diagnosed significantly quicker since 1996.
General practice was the major setting for the identification of alcohol problems in this population. Evidence from this series, probably the largest from a single practice, suggests patients were discovered more speedily in more recent years than earlier. This audit has educational value and could be used more widely in primary care to demonstrate how well we are diagnosing those whose problems come from their use of alcohol.
描述英格兰西北部一家普通诊所中368例有酒精问题患者的诊断模式。
对记录进行回顾性检索，并从1996年起对所有承认每周饮酒超过50单位（男性）或35单位（女性），或其他提及“酒精问题”的患者进行前瞻性记录。任何此类记录都被视为构成“酒精问题”。使用标准问题清单记录首次就诊与确定酒精问题日期之间的时间间隔以及普通诊察的次数。
292例患者（79%）在该诊所被诊断，51例（14%）在医院被诊断，9例（2%）在之前的普通诊所被诊断，16例（4%）在其他地方被诊断。39%的患者在35岁之前被确诊。男性比女性确诊得明显更快，自1996年以来酒精问题的诊断也明显更快。
普通诊所在该人群酒精问题的识别中是主要场所。这个系列可能是来自单一诊所的最大规模研究，其证据表明近年来患者比早期被发现得更快。这项审核具有教育价值，可在初级保健中更广泛地使用，以展示我们对那些因饮酒产生问题的患者的诊断情况。
