Alcohol consumption by routine admissions to a Sydney teaching hospital

Between April and August 1985, 500 patients admitted routinely to the Westmead Hospital completed a self reporting questionnaire based on National Heart Foundation (NHF) questionnaire to determine alcohol usage by this group of hospital patients. Routine admissions represent 40-50% of all patients in the Westmead Hospital. The alcohol consumption patterns of this group closely resembled that of the general population as reported in the 1983 NHF survey. Six per cent of all patients were drinking at an 'at risk' level and only 0.8% were consuming at a level definitely believed to damage their health. The survey suggests that routinely admitted patients represent a select group of hospital patients not containing a high percentage of heavy drinkers. If up to 30% of hospital patients have an alcohol intake above accepted 'healthy' levels it is clear that this must occur in other areas of the hospital such as the Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical units where trauma cases are frequently admitted. Future research into these areas would be useful to determine the extent of patient alcohol consumption.