Alcoholism and Critical Illness: A Review

Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug in the world, and alcohol use disorders pose a tremendous burden to healthcare systems around the world. The lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse in the United States is estimated to be around 18%, and the economic consequences of these disorders are staggering. Studies on hospitalized patients demonstrate that about one in four patients admitted to critical care units will have alcohol-related issues, and unhealthy alcohol consumption is responsible for numerous clinical problems encountered in intensive care unit (ICU) settings. Patients with alcohol use disorders are not only predisposed to developing withdrawal syndromes and other conditions that often require intensive care, they also experience a considerably higher rate of complications, longer ICU and hospital length of stay, greater resource utilization, and significantly increased mortality compared to similar critically ill patients who do not abuse alcohol. Specific disorders seen in the critical care setting that are impacted by alcohol abuse include delirium, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, trauma, and burn injuries. Despite the substantial burden of alcohol-induced disease in these settings, critical care providers often fail to identify individuals with alcohol use disorders, which can have significant implications for this vulnerable population and delay important clinical interventions.