Clin Med
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Practice Guideline
Assessment and management of alcohol dependence and withdrawal in the acute hospital: concise guidance.
Alcohol dependence is common among patients attending acute hospitals. It can be the major reason for attendance or a significant cofactor. Assessment of these patients in the acute setting can be challenging owing to the multidisciplinary approach required. ⋯ For this reason, assessment of dependence and prevention and management of acute alcohol withdrawal are often suboptimal. There is little existing guidance on how to manage this patient population, especially in non-specialist settings. With recently published National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on the management of dependence and withdrawal, now is the perfect time to produce concise guidelines in the hope that a more succinct suite of guidance can reach a larger audience.