Nurse-delivered brief interventions for hazardous drinkers with alcohol-related facial trauma: a prospective randomised controlled trial

AIMS: To assess the impact of two methods of brief nurse-delivered brief interventions in reducing drinking variables in hazardous drinkers with alcohol-related facial injuries. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial of two brief interventions involving hazardous drinkers with facial trauma in three Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery outpatient clinics in the West of Scotland; 194 patients were recruited and randomised to have either a nurse-led brief motivational intervention (intervention group) or a leaflet about alcohol misuse (control group). Patients were followed up at 3 and 12 months after the intervention and drinking variables reassessed. RESULTS: A brief motivational intervention for alcohol provided by a nurse was more effective than a leaflet in helping some patients with facial trauma to reduce their alcohol consumption 12 months after the intervention (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Facial trauma in the West of Scotland is strongly associated with alcohol misuse and is a recurrent disease, particularly among those who drink heavily. A nurse-delivered brief motivational intervention is effective in helping patients with high scores in the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test to reduce their drinking, and this effect was apparent 12 months after the intervention.