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Deutsches Arzteblatt International May 2009Episodic excessive alcohol consumption ("binge drinking") among children and adolescents has become a serious public health problem in Germany and is associated with a... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Episodic excessive alcohol consumption ("binge drinking") among children and adolescents has become a serious public health problem in Germany and is associated with a variety of risks.
METHODS
Selective literature search of the Ovid Medline database from 1998 to 2008.
RESULTS
Episodic excessive alcohol consumption is associated not only with somatic complications, but also with traffic accidents and other types of accident, violent behavior, and suicide. The more frequently a child or adolescent drinks to excess, and the younger he or she is, the greater is the risk of developing an alcohol-related disorder (alcohol misuse or dependence syndrome). In the USA, brief motivational interventions have been shown to have a small to medium-sized beneficial effect in reducing further binge drinking and its complications.
CONCLUSIONS
The intervention HaLT ("Stop," also an acronym for Hart am Limit--"near the limit") is performed in a number of regions in Germany. Further types of brief motivating intervention should be developed and evaluated to prevent the development of alcohol-related disorders, where indicated, in children and adolescents that engage in binge drinking.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Intoxication; Child; Child Behavior; Germany; Health Behavior; Humans; Incidence; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking
PubMed: 19547732
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2009.0323 -
Archives of Emergency Medicine Jun 1989
Topics: Alcoholic Intoxication; Asthma; Bronchial Spasm; Humans
PubMed: 2742674
DOI: 10.1136/emj.6.2.159-a -
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) May 2007Ethanol interactions with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, play key roles in acute intoxication. However, the exact... (Review)
Review
Ethanol interactions with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, play key roles in acute intoxication. However, the exact mechanisms of these ethanol interactions have been the subject of considerable confusion and controversy. Many studies suggest that ethanol potentiates the function of the type A GABA receptor (GABAA-R). However, these findings have not been consistently replicated in experiments that directly examined the effects of ethanol on GABAA-R-mediated ion current. Differences in ethanol sensitivity of different GABAA-R subtypes have been invoked as a potential explanation for the inconsistent findings, and recent work suggests that GABAA-Rs that contain the delta subunit and/or mediate tonic extrasynaptic GABA responses may be especially ethanol sensitive. However, considerable disagreement has arisen over these findings. This special issue of Alcohol contains articles from eight research groups that are examining this issue. The authors present their work, their views on the present state of this area of alcohol research, and their ideas about how to proceed with future studies that may help to address the present confusion and controversy. This editorial provides an introduction to this line of research and the current findings and controversies.
Topics: Alcoholic Intoxication; Animals; Central Nervous System Depressants; Ethanol; Humans; Receptors, GABA-A
PubMed: 17521844
DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2007.03.008 -
Psychiatria Polska Apr 2018To determine the frequency of hospitalizations due to alcohol intoxication (AI) at the Pediatric Health Center, and to attempt to identify factors contributing to the...
OBJECTIVES
To determine the frequency of hospitalizations due to alcohol intoxication (AI) at the Pediatric Health Center, and to attempt to identify factors contributing to the occurrence of intoxication in the population of children and adolescents.
METHODS
Medical documentation of 227 patients hospitalized due to AI. 108 (48%) patients were girls and 119 (52%) patients were boys. The mean age of the study group was 14.9 years ±2.1. Data regarding patients, their families and the circumstances of intoxication underwent analysis.
RESULTS
Alcohol intoxication constituted 2.8% of all hospitalizations. The number of hospitalizations between 2000 and 2011 showed an increasing tendency with some fluctuations within years. Spirits were predominant alcohol beverages. Over 10% of patients required a short-term hospital stay at the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care. In 13% of children, coexisting medicine or drug intoxication was observed and 10% of patients presented with alcohol-related injury to the head or extremities. Risky sexual behaviors were noted in 25% of girls. The majority of children were raised by two parents who had received primary education. Alcoholism was present in over 20% of the families. In single-parent families, fathers were more frequently absent and a lack of a regular source of income was more often related to mothers.
CONCLUSIONS
There are no uniform standards of multi-specialist medical care for children hospitalized due to AI. Identification of children consuming alcohol is recommended. It should be done by primary physicians, pediatricians, teachers and psychologists. Minor patients hospitalized due to AI should be provided with a long-term and comprehensive care.
Topics: Adolescent; Alcoholic Intoxication; Blood Alcohol Content; Child; Child, Hospitalized; Ethanol; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Male; Poland; Risk Assessment; Sex Distribution
PubMed: 29975374
DOI: 10.12740/PP/67601 -
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Mar 2011Alcohol use in China has substantially increased during the last three decades. The objectives of this study were to examine the sociodemographic patterning of alcohol...
OBJECTIVE
Alcohol use in China has substantially increased during the last three decades. The objectives of this study were to examine the sociodemographic patterning of alcohol consumption and to explore the relationship between (a) heavy drinking and frequent acute intoxication and (b) type of alcohol consumed.
METHOD
A cross-sectional survey of 18- to 60-year-old men in Hunan and Henan Provinces in 2007 used multistage, randomized clustered sampling to identify 11,884 subjects; 9,866 (83.0%) of them were interviewed.
RESULTS
The weighted prevalence of 3-month drinking was 61.4% in Hunan and 68.2% in Henan. Among current drinkers, the median daily consumption of pure alcohol in Hunan and Henan were 16.5 ml and 17.9 ml, respectively; 16.6% in Hunan and 22.3% in Henan met criteria for heavy drinking (average daily pure alcohol consumption ≥ 50 ml); and 3.0% in Hunan and 7.3% in Henan reported frequent intoxication. Adult men with lower education in Hunan and those with higher family incomes in Henan were more likely to engage in heavy drinking; those who were unmarried in Hunan and those with higher incomes in Henan were more likely to be intoxicated frequently. In both provinces, those who consumed distilled spirits were at higher risk for heavy drinking and frequent intoxication.
CONCLUSIONS
The majority of rural adult men in both provinces drink alcohol and a substantial minority-particularly those who consume distilled spirits-are heavy drinkers and report more frequent acute intoxication. The consumption of distilled spirits may be a useful target of intervention to reduce the prevalence of heavy drinking and the experience of intoxication.
Topics: Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Beverages; Alcoholic Intoxication; Alcoholism; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethanol; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Rural Population; Socioeconomic Factors; Young Adult
PubMed: 21388606
DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2011.72.333 -
Addictive Behaviors Sep 2011Compared to college women, college men face elevated risks for problematic drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences. These risks highlight the critical need to...
Compared to college women, college men face elevated risks for problematic drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences. These risks highlight the critical need to investigate gender issues and risk factors contributing to intoxication and related problems among men. Theoretical models suggest that conforming to masculine norms or the beliefs and expectations of what it means to be a man, may help explain patterns of problematic drinking among men. The current study advances the literature by investigating the association between masculine norms, drinking to intoxication, and alcohol-related consequences among 776 undergraduate males after taking into account the importance of fraternity status and perceived peer norms. Results indicate that fraternity status and higher perceived peer norms regarding drinking increased the risks of getting drunk and experiencing alcohol-related consequences. Specifically, the masculine norms of being a "playboy", risk-taking, and winning were risk factors of drinking to intoxication; while, being a "playboy", risk-taking, and self-reliance increased the risks of alcohol-related problems. Primacy of work and heterosexual presentation were two masculine norms that were protective of drinking to intoxication. Our findings contribute to important future considerations for prevention, clinical interventions, and public-health implications in college settings.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Intoxication; California; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Peer Group; Risk Factors; Social Conformity; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; Young Adult
PubMed: 21620570
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.04.005 -
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental... Aug 2010Alcohol impairs inhibitory control, and it alters implicit alcohol cognitions including attentional bias and implicit associations. These effects are seen after doses of... (Review)
Review
Alcohol impairs inhibitory control, and it alters implicit alcohol cognitions including attentional bias and implicit associations. These effects are seen after doses of alcohol which do not lead to global impairments in cognitive performance. We review studies which demonstrate that the effects of alcohol on inhibitory control are associated with the ability of alcohol to prime alcohol-seeking behavior. We also hypothesize that alcohol-induced changes in implicit alcohol cognitions may partially mediate alcohol-induced priming of the motivation to drink. Based on contemporary theoretical models and conceptualizations of executive function, impulsivity, and the motivational salience of alcohol-related cues, we speculate on other aspects of cognition that may underlie alcohol's effects on alcohol seeking. Inconsistencies in existing research and priorities for future research are highlighted, including dose effects and the potential interactions between chronic heavy drinking and the acute effects of alcohol on these cognitive processes.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Intoxication; Animals; Behavior Control; Cognition; Ethanol; Humans; Inhibition, Psychological
PubMed: 20491732
DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01218.x -
Internal and Emergency Medicine Jan 2023We assessed long-term mortality and its association with chronic alcohol-related diseases in patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) because of acute...
Mortality and its association with chronic alcohol-related diseases in patients admitted to the emergency department for acute alcoholic intoxication: retrospective cohort study.
We assessed long-term mortality and its association with chronic alcohol-related diseases in patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) because of acute alcoholic intoxication (AAI). A retrospective cohort study was performed at the ED of Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy. 3304 patients, corresponding to 6415 admissions for AAI, who accessed the ED from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2017, were studied. The ED electronic registry system was used to assess living status on 08 May 2020 and to obtain the prespecified potential predictors, i.e., age at first admission, sex, alcohol use disorder (AUD), substance use disorder (SUD), more than 1 admission to ED for trauma, mental and behavioral disorders, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular disease. The median follow-up time was 9.3 years and the time on risk was 30,053 person years (PY) with a death rate corresponding to 4.42 (95% CI 3.74-5.26) per 1000 PY (n = 133 deaths). The death rate was higher in patients with AUD (17.30) than in those without AUD (1.98) and in those with SUD (13.58) than in those without SUD (3.80). Lastly, there was a clearly higher death rate among AUD+ SUD+ (20.89) compared to AUD-SUD-patients (1.74). At multivariable Cox regression, AUD, SUD, and liver cirrhosis were strong and independent predictors of time-to-death. Using standardized mortality ratios, a clear excess of mortality was evident for all the age bands from (40-45] to (60-65] years. Mortality is higher in AAI than in the general population and chronic alcohol-related diseases are strongly associated with it.
Topics: Humans; Alcoholism; Alcoholic Intoxication; Retrospective Studies; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Emergency Service, Hospital
PubMed: 36199001
DOI: 10.1007/s11739-022-03114-6 -
Addictive Behaviors Apr 2008This study investigated variables of perceived risk associated with one's decision to drink and drive, as well as with the occurrence and successfulness of intervention...
This study investigated variables of perceived risk associated with one's decision to drink and drive, as well as with the occurrence and successfulness of intervention efforts by others in preventing individuals from drinking and driving. Undergraduate students were presented with scenarios manipulating number of drinks, consumption time, and distance needed to drive. Participants then provided estimates of intoxication, degree of impairment, and likelihood of getting in an accident and getting arrested for drinking and driving. In addition, participants rated three criterion variables: intention to drive, likelihood someone would try to intervene, and receptiveness to someone attempting to intervene. Data was analyzed using three random effects regression models, one for each of the criterion variables. Results indicated that perceptions of risk were associated with decisions to drive after drinking and expected likelihood of, and receptiveness to, intervention efforts, over and above one's estimate of intoxication.
Topics: Accidents, Traffic; Adolescent; Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Intoxication; Automobile Driving; Decision Making; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Students; Universities
PubMed: 18068307
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.11.010 -
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental... Jan 2014Crossed high-alcohol-preferring (cHAP) mice were selectively bred from a cross of the HAP1 × HAP2 replicate lines and demonstrate blood ethanol concentrations (BECs)...
Selectively bred crossed high-alcohol-preferring mice drink to intoxication and develop functional tolerance, but not locomotor sensitization during free-choice ethanol access.
BACKGROUND
Crossed high-alcohol-preferring (cHAP) mice were selectively bred from a cross of the HAP1 × HAP2 replicate lines and demonstrate blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) during free-choice drinking reminiscent of those observed in alcohol-dependent humans. In this report, we investigated the relationship between free-choice drinking, intoxication, tolerance, and sensitization in cHAP mice. We hypothesized that initially mice would become ataxic after drinking alcohol, but that increased drinking over days would be accompanied by increasing tolerance to the ataxic effects of ethanol (EtOH).
METHODS
Male and female cHAP mice had free-choice access to 10% EtOH and water (E), while Water mice (W) had access to water alone. In experiment 1, the first drinking experience was monitored during the dark portion of the cycle. Once E mice reached an average intake rate of ≥1.5 g/kg/h, they, along with W mice, were tested for footslips on a balance beam, and BECs were assessed. In experiments 2, 3, and 4, after varying durations of free-choice 10% EtOH access (0, 3, 14, or 21 days), mice were challenged with 20% EtOH and tested for number of footslips on a balance beam or locomotor stimulant response. Blood was sampled for BEC determination.
RESULTS
We found that cHAP mice rapidly acquire alcohol intakes that lead to ataxia. Over time, cHAP mice developed behavioral tolerance to the ataxic effects of alcohol, paralleled by escalating alcohol consumption. However, locomotor sensitization did not develop following 14 days of free-choice EtOH access.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, we observed increases in free-choice drinking with extended alcohol access paralleled by increases in functional tolerance, but not locomotor sensitization. These data support our hypothesis that escalating free-choice drinking over days in cHAP mice is driven by tolerance to alcohol's behavioral effects. These data are the first to demonstrate that escalating free-choice consumption is accompanied by increasing alcohol tolerance. In addition to buttressing the hypothesized importance of tolerance in drinking, our findings suggest that cHAP mice may be a unique, translational resource for studying tolerance as a contributor to and consequence of chronic, excessive EtOH consumption.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Intoxication; Animals; Choice Behavior; Ethanol; Female; Hybridization, Genetic; Male; Mice; Motor Activity
PubMed: 23909817
DOI: 10.1111/acer.12216