[Alcohol use in hospitalized patients at Hazrat-e-Rasoul Hospital]

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the rate of alcohol use in hospitalized patients at a general hospital in Iran. In a cross-sectional descriptive study, 571 patients from 11 wards of Hazrat-e-Rasoul Hospital were evaluated by a demographic questionnaire. The Pediatrics, Emergency, ICU, and CCU wards were excluded from the study. The sampling was implemented through the nonrandomized convenient method. The rate of current alcohol use was 9.6% [8.9% in males and 0.7% in females]; in all 25.4% of the patients [22.8% in males and 2.6% in females] reported to alcohol use in their lifetime. The highest rates of current alcohol use were observed in the orthopedic ward [25.3%], the 15-29 years old age group [47.3%], and the patients with education under high school diplomas [56.4%]. The rate of current alcohol use was 54.5% in married patients while in single, divorced, or widows, the rate was 45.5%. The weekly alcohol consumption was the most frequently reported pattern of current use [34.5%]. There is a considerable prevalence of alcohol use among the patients in a general hospital. Attending to its impact on presentation and treatment of various diseases is essential