Comprehensive Laboratory Analysis of Korean Acute Alcoholic Intoxication Patients Reveals the Need for a National Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination Program in Korea / 가정의학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute alcoholic intoxication patients (AAIP) are a common public health problem. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive laboratory analysis for these patients to investigate the co-morbid medical problem. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed laboratory findings of AAIP who were transferred to the emergency department (ED) from January 2017 to June 2017. RESULTS: A total of 160 male patients were enrolled. Sixteen patients (16/160, 10.0%) and three patients (3/160, 1.9%) had macrocytic anemia and microcytic anemia, respectively. A total of 33 patients (33/160, 20.6%) showed thrombocytopenia ( 7.0%). Positive rates of hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HBs antibody (anti-HBs Ab) were 3.5% (5/141) and 49.0% (68/141), respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with AAIP who were transferred to ED had various laboratory abnormalities (anemia, thrombocytopenia, high HbA1c). They had low positive rate of anti-HBs Ab. This might be a public health problem, suggesting the need of hepatitis B virus vaccination program for AAIP. Our data suggest the need of further nationwide studies.