(57) Prescribing Medication Assisted Therapy After Admission For Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Friday, April 1, 2022

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM ET

Location: Great Hall Foyer, Third Floor

Has Audio

Presenter(s)

Raman D. Krimpuri, MD, MBA

Fellow Addiction Medicine with emphasis on Obesity medicine
metrohealth medical center affiliated with Case Western University School of Medicine, Ohio

Non-presenting author(s)

Charles Emerman, MD

Department Chair Emergency Medicine/Program Director Addiction Medicine Fellowship
MetroHealth Medical Center affiliated with Case Western University School of Medicine, Ohio

Abstract

Background: The consumption of alcohol and related hospitalizations for its complications has been increasing. Literature in the past has indicated that there is an underuse of medications for alcohol use disorder (MAUD).

Methods: We reviewed a national database to determine the prescribing of treatment (MAUD) for patients admitted with alcohol withdrawal syndromes (AWS) from 2019-2021 in the Epic Cosmos database. We searched for hospital admissions during this timeframe associated with an active diagnosis of alcohol withdrawal syndromes. We then searched for patients prescribed medications approved for therapy (MAUD).

Results: We reviewed 197375 admissions with an active diagnosis of AWS. There was an increasing percentage of admissions for AWS from 2019-2021. Overall, only 7 percent of patients were prescribed MAUD at discharge. Naltrexone was the most prescribed MAUD. Females, non-African Americans, Latinos, and patients under 65 were more likely to be prescribed MAUD.

Conclusions: Many patients discharged after admission for AWS are not prescribed MAUD at discharge. Further research on means to increase the treatment of patients with alcohol use disorder and its complications is warranted.