Doctor flags surge in severe alcohol-related disease - is our 'alcogenic society' to blame?
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As if the last year hasn't been tough enough, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed that alcohol-induced deaths are at their highest rate in 10 years.
These deaths are being driven by conditions that can be caused by long-term drinking, such as trauma, late-stage liver disease, neurodegenerative diseases and heart failure.
It's a worrying trend that is only getting worse, with one doctor claiming that a quarter of all intensive care resources in his hospital are now being used to treat critical illness directly related to alcohol consumption.
The anonymous physician told The Guardian Australia that he was alarmed at the worst spike in cases of severe alcohol-related disease he has seen at his hospital.
‘I have never seen so many jaundiced and confused 40 and 50-year-olds dying of liver failure,’ he said.
Alcohol consumption is a known cause of liver disease, which may manifest through increased fat deposits around the liver, alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), and alcoholic cirrhosis (death of liver tissue).
‘For the past 12 months, the occupancy of ICU resources attributable to direct alcohol-related critical illness is, at times, using up 25% of available resources,’ the doctor said.
While this might not be concerning per se, this statistic occurs at a time when COVID remains a pressing concern not just in public health at large, but in intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rates across Australian hospitals.
‘Alcohol-related critical illness is about 10% of ICU beds on average, year in and year out, or about 200 ICU beds occupied every day,’ he said.
‘Occasionally, it peaks at 25% in a single hospital on a given day…That means a quarter of tertiary teaching hospital ICU bed spaces, ventilators and life supports are being used by patients with alcohol-related illness…’
‘This is about 10 times the critical care burden attributable to COVID, on average, over the last three years at the hospital.’
The unnamed doctor also admits the ABS’ recent findings spurred him to speak out, particularly over the perception that alcohol-related diseases only affect the elderly.
‘It takes you out well before that,’ he said.
‘We’re seeing people younger than 60 who drink heavily, and perhaps without noticing they have gone from “functioning” to experiencing symptoms which will baffle them… There are fewer breaks in their drinking, they become more prone to getting infections and trauma. They go from having cirrhosis to liver failure.’
The doctor zeroed in on the COVID-induced aspect of alcoholism, with many driven to frequent drinking during the pandemic as one of the causes of the spike in alcohol-related admissions.
He also underscored that marketing targeted at youth and the relative ease of ordering alcohol straight to their doorsteps is also ‘very effective’ at making the problem worse.
Separate findings from the ABS’ National Health Survey revealed that 25% of Australians aged 18 and above exceeded set standards on alcoholic drinks (four drinks in one day or 10 drinks weekly).
Make no mistake, too much alcohol can also harm the elderly.
A recent piece put out by public health experts described alcoholism as a growing problem in women aged 45 to 64, with their increased intakes putting them at greater risk for diseases like breast cancer.
Perhaps distilling the anonymous doctor’s point, the public health experts described today’s society as ‘alcogenic’ regarding the accessibility of alcohol.
For those who want assistance in kicking their alcohol habits to the kerb, there are resources available online.
You could also read up on how much alcohol you can consume before it starts becoming very harmful.
Do you share these doctors’ concerns on how our ‘alcogenic’ society is promoting excessive drinking across all ages? Do you think there should be more restrictions in place, especially when it comes to your kids’ and (in some cases) grandkids’ ages?
Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
Source: YouTube/WGN News
These deaths are being driven by conditions that can be caused by long-term drinking, such as trauma, late-stage liver disease, neurodegenerative diseases and heart failure.
It's a worrying trend that is only getting worse, with one doctor claiming that a quarter of all intensive care resources in his hospital are now being used to treat critical illness directly related to alcohol consumption.
The anonymous physician told The Guardian Australia that he was alarmed at the worst spike in cases of severe alcohol-related disease he has seen at his hospital.
‘I have never seen so many jaundiced and confused 40 and 50-year-olds dying of liver failure,’ he said.
Alcohol consumption is a known cause of liver disease, which may manifest through increased fat deposits around the liver, alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), and alcoholic cirrhosis (death of liver tissue).
An anonymous doctor is calling attention to the growing problem of alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths in Australia. Credit: The Guardian Australia
‘For the past 12 months, the occupancy of ICU resources attributable to direct alcohol-related critical illness is, at times, using up 25% of available resources,’ the doctor said.
While this might not be concerning per se, this statistic occurs at a time when COVID remains a pressing concern not just in public health at large, but in intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rates across Australian hospitals.
‘Alcohol-related critical illness is about 10% of ICU beds on average, year in and year out, or about 200 ICU beds occupied every day,’ he said.
‘Occasionally, it peaks at 25% in a single hospital on a given day…That means a quarter of tertiary teaching hospital ICU bed spaces, ventilators and life supports are being used by patients with alcohol-related illness…’
‘This is about 10 times the critical care burden attributable to COVID, on average, over the last three years at the hospital.’
The unnamed doctor also admits the ABS’ recent findings spurred him to speak out, particularly over the perception that alcohol-related diseases only affect the elderly.
‘It takes you out well before that,’ he said.
‘We’re seeing people younger than 60 who drink heavily, and perhaps without noticing they have gone from “functioning” to experiencing symptoms which will baffle them… There are fewer breaks in their drinking, they become more prone to getting infections and trauma. They go from having cirrhosis to liver failure.’
The anonymous doctor is concerned about alcohol’s accessibility to Aussies. Credit: Unsplash/Nick Rickert.
The doctor zeroed in on the COVID-induced aspect of alcoholism, with many driven to frequent drinking during the pandemic as one of the causes of the spike in alcohol-related admissions.
He also underscored that marketing targeted at youth and the relative ease of ordering alcohol straight to their doorsteps is also ‘very effective’ at making the problem worse.
Separate findings from the ABS’ National Health Survey revealed that 25% of Australians aged 18 and above exceeded set standards on alcoholic drinks (four drinks in one day or 10 drinks weekly).
Make no mistake, too much alcohol can also harm the elderly.
Perhaps distilling the anonymous doctor’s point, the public health experts described today’s society as ‘alcogenic’ regarding the accessibility of alcohol.
For those who want assistance in kicking their alcohol habits to the kerb, there are resources available online.
You could also read up on how much alcohol you can consume before it starts becoming very harmful.
Do you share these doctors’ concerns on how our ‘alcogenic’ society is promoting excessive drinking across all ages? Do you think there should be more restrictions in place, especially when it comes to your kids’ and (in some cases) grandkids’ ages?
Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
Source: YouTube/WGN News
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