[Alcohol withdrawal syndrome at the internal medicine department of a general hospital; epidemiology and hospital costs]. / Síndrome de abstinencia alcohólica en el servicio de medicina interna de un hospital general; epidemiología y coste hospitalario.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is an admission problem and can also occur in hospitalized patients. We endeavoured to ascertain the exact epidemiology and hospital cost of AWS based on a review of the charts of patients admitted during 1986, 1987, 1988 (total = 78). The statistical analysis of the differences was performed by chi-square test with a significant level = or less than of 0.05. The results were: total hospital prevalence of AWS = 2.44%, hospital prevalence by season = 3.33% (spring), 2.04% (summer), 2.28% (fall), 2.19% (winter). Outpatients presentation = 79.49%, highlighting fever syndrome of unknown origin (FSUO) (16.4%) and pneumonia (11.48%); hospital presentation = 20.51% focusing acute pancreatitis (31.25%) and pneumonia (25%) as first causes of admission. The significant association between FSUO and spring and winter (84.62%); relation male: female = 5.5: 1; mean age = 42.57 years; decade distributions = 1st decade 0%, second = 1.28%, third = 11.64%, fourth = 35.90%, fifth = 24.36%, sixth = 16.67%, seventh = 8.97%, eighth = 1.28%, ninth = 0%; mean admission time = 14.12 days; total hospital cost of out-patients presentation = 15.087.370 pesetas.