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Alcohol Screening and Risk of Postoperative Complications in Male VA Patients Undergoing Major Non-cardiac Surgery
Authors
Bradley, Katharine A.Rubinsky, Anna D.
Sun, Haili
Bryson, Chris L.
Bishop, Michael J.
Blough, David K.
Henderson, William G.
Maynard, Charles
Hawn, Mary T.
Tonnesen, Hanne
Hughes, Grant
Beste, Lauren A.
Harris, Alex H.S.
Hawkins, Eric J.
Houston, Thomas K.
Kivlahan, Daniel R.
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of Quantitative Health SciencesDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2011-02-15Keywords
Postoperative ComplicationsAlcohol-Related Disorders
UMCCTS funding
Biostatistics
Epidemiology
Health Services Research
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
BACKGROUND: Patients who misuse alcohol are at increased risk for surgical complications. Four weeks of preoperative abstinence decreases the risk of complications, but practical approaches for early preoperative identification of alcohol misuse are needed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether results of alcohol screening with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire-up to a year before surgery-were associated with the risk of postoperative complications. DESIGN: This is a cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Male Veterans Affairs (VA) patients were eligible if they had major noncardiac surgery assessed by the VA's Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) in fiscal years 2004-2006, and completed the AUDIT-C alcohol screening questionnaire (0-12 points) on a mailed survey within 1 year before surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: One or more postoperative complication(s) within 30 days of surgery based on VASQIP nurse medical record reviews. RESULTS: Among 9,176 eligible men, 16.3% screened positive for alcohol misuse with AUDIT-C scores >/= 5, and 7.8% had postoperative complications. Patients with AUDIT-C scores >/= 5 were at significantly increased risk for postoperative complications, compared to patients who drank less. In analyses adjusted for age, smoking, and days from screening to surgery, the estimated prevalence of postoperative complications increased from 5.6% (95% CI 4.8-6.6%) in patients with AUDIT-C scores 1-4, to 7.9% (6.3-9.7%) in patients with AUDIT-Cs 5-8, 9.7% (6.6-14.1%) in patients with AUDIT-Cs 9-10 and 14.0% (8.9-21.3%) in patients with AUDIT-Cs 11-12. In fully-adjusted analyses that included preoperative covariates potentially in the causal pathway between alcohol misuse and complications, the estimated prevalence of postoperative complications increased significantly from 4.8% (4.1-5.7%) in patients with AUDIT-C scores 1-4, to 6.9% (5.5-8.7%) in patients with AUDIT-Cs 5-8 and 7.5% (5.0-11.3%) among those with AUDIT-Cs 9-10. CONCLUSIONS: AUDIT-C scores of 5 or more up to a year before surgery were associated with increased postoperative complications.Source
J Gen Intern Med. 2011 Feb;26(2):162-9. doi:10.1007/s11606-010-1475-x. Link to article on publisher's siteDOI
10.1007/s11606-010-1475-xPermanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/47841PubMed ID
20878363Related Resources
Link to Article in PubMedae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1007/s11606-010-1475-x