Alcoholics and drug addicts at the emergency room of the hospital. Analysis of the staff behavior and patients' progressions.

The statistical analysis of a large sample (1.707 cases) was carried out using objective variables. These variables consist of the key points in the progression of alcoholics and drug addicts within two emergency departments situated in general hospitals. This study pinpoints a lack of therapeutic work at the emergency room where neither medical diagnoses nor psychopathological analyses seem to be done.