Alcohol and alcoholism : international journal of the Medical Council on Alcoholism
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Treatment of alcoholic polyneuropathy with vitamin B complex: a randomised controlled trial.
To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of BEFACT Forte 'new formulation' and BEFACT Forte 'old formulation' in the treatment of sensory symptoms of alcoholic polyneuropathy. ⋯ A specific vitamin B complex (with and without folic acid) significantly improved symptoms of alcoholic polyneuropathy over a 12-week treatment period.
-
Various factors that may influence the severity of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) have been identified. We tested the predictive value of these factors compiled in a newly developed scale, LARS (Luebeck alcohol withdrawal risk scale). ⋯ LARS11 assessed immediately before detoxification appears to provide a useful estimate of mild/moderate versus severe AWS, and is now ready to be validated in an independent sample.
-
Controlled Clinical Trial
The effectiveness of a tailored intervention for excessive alcohol consumption prior to elective surgery.
To assess the effectiveness of a tailored pre-operative intervention for excessive alcohol consumption in reducing post-operative complications and alcohol consumption thereafter. ⋯ The study did not demonstrate any beneficial effect of the pre-operative intervention on post-operative complications. The relatively short time to surgery, intervention by a non-member of the surgical team, challenges to recruitment and reduced consumption in the control group may have limited the ability of the study to detect a significant effect of the intervention.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Telephone screening for hazardous drinking among injured patients seen in acute care clinics: feasibility study.
We evaluated the effectiveness of telephoning injured patients after discharge, compared with contacting them in the clinic during the acute care visit, for screening for hazardous drinking and eliciting willingness to participate in a lifestyle intervention trial. ⋯ Telephone screening is a feasible and efficient method for screening moderately injured adult patients for hazardous drinking, but characteristics of the clinical site (including personnel) influence its effectiveness. Trauma and acute care clinics are likely to be fruitful sites for identification of patients with hazardous drinking, whether for enrollment into brief intervention trials or treatment programmes.