LONDON—A good bedside manner can reduce the return rate for alcohol-related injuries and stem the epidemic of binge-drinking in the U.K., the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) advises.
The College urges nurses, doctors and surgeons to use the unique “teachable moment”, when patients with drinking-related injuries return to have stitches removed or dressings changed, to point out the link between excessive drinking and the patient’s injury.
Catherine Bridgeman, nurse manager at the University Dental Hospital in Cardiff, was involved with the first trials of this “brief intervention” 10 years ago.
“It is not aimed at people who have a serious alcohol problem,” she told the BBC Today radio programme on Good Friday. “It’s aimed at people who are, what’s termed as, ‘binge drinking’. They go out at the weekend and drink an excessive amount - maybe 15 to 19 pints.
“It’s about having a structured conversation with the patient and getting over a number of points,” she said. They must be open to understanding the connection between their injury and drinking.
Clinical trials have shown that 24 per cent more people with hazardous drink problems reduce their drinking to safer levels after a year compared to those who do not have the structured conversation.
She said that research in the 1990s into facial injury related to alcohol “is more indicative of you being able to change your behaviour than a custodial sentence”.
The 2007 UK Burden of Injuries Study showed that in 2005/6 there were just over 8 million injury related A&E attendances and hospital admissions for the 60.6 million UK population. Alcohol abuse was associated to some extent with 30 per cent of these.
£20 billion each year is estimated to go from the NHS and other public services on injury and trauma death from alcohol misuse.
The RCS points out that the “brief intervention” scheme does not require additional staff and fits in with current practice.
The scheme has been successful in Wales and the RCS urges hospitals and emergency services in England and elsewhere to adopt the cost-effective programme.
The College urges nurses, doctors and surgeons to use the unique “teachable moment”, when patients with drinking-related injuries return to have stitches removed or dressings changed, to point out the link between excessive drinking and the patient’s injury.
Catherine Bridgeman, nurse manager at the University Dental Hospital in Cardiff, was involved with the first trials of this “brief intervention” 10 years ago.
“It is not aimed at people who have a serious alcohol problem,” she told the BBC Today radio programme on Good Friday. “It’s aimed at people who are, what’s termed as, ‘binge drinking’. They go out at the weekend and drink an excessive amount - maybe 15 to 19 pints.
“It’s about having a structured conversation with the patient and getting over a number of points,” she said. They must be open to understanding the connection between their injury and drinking.
Clinical trials have shown that 24 per cent more people with hazardous drink problems reduce their drinking to safer levels after a year compared to those who do not have the structured conversation.
She said that research in the 1990s into facial injury related to alcohol “is more indicative of you being able to change your behaviour than a custodial sentence”.
The 2007 UK Burden of Injuries Study showed that in 2005/6 there were just over 8 million injury related A&E attendances and hospital admissions for the 60.6 million UK population. Alcohol abuse was associated to some extent with 30 per cent of these.
£20 billion each year is estimated to go from the NHS and other public services on injury and trauma death from alcohol misuse.
The RCS points out that the “brief intervention” scheme does not require additional staff and fits in with current practice.
The scheme has been successful in Wales and the RCS urges hospitals and emergency services in England and elsewhere to adopt the cost-effective programme.
