Alcohol Exposure as a Risk Factor for Adverse Outcomes in Elective Surgery

Abstract

Active alcohol consumption is a significant determinant of adverse outcomes in elective surgery; patients with ETOH use who are scheduled to undergo elective surgery should be appropriately educated and counseled.

Alcohol Use in Elective Total Hip Arthroplasty: Risk or Benefit?

“…However, moderate drinkers had a higher contribution margin and greater net income charges when compared to abstainers. Our results are not in agreement with a previous study by Nath et al [14] that found alcohol exposure to be a risk factor for adverse outcomes in elective surgery. In a study of inpatients, the median LOS was 5 days in patients with active alcohol exposure versus only 3 days in those without it (p \ 0.0001).…”

“…Chronic alcohol abuse negatively impacts the function of antigen-presenting cells and the activation of T cells [17]. Alcohol use independently predicts the occurrence of pneumonia, superficial surgical-site infection, wound disruption, and prolonged LOS after surgery [14]. Excessive alcohol consumption has been associated with complications after surgery [9,16].…”

Arthroplasty Knee Surgery and Alcohol Use: Risk Factor or Benefit?

“…Our results are not in agreement with a previous report based on a large nationwide sample that found longer LOS among alcohol users [19]. We had no patients reporting themselves as heavy drinkers and this could explain this discrepancy.…”

“…Excessive alcohol consumption has been associated with adverse measures of health status [25] or negative clinical and surgical outcomes such as complications and/or prolonged LOS [11,19,21]. However, low and moderate consumption has been associated with beneficial effects such as decreased total mortality [7,18] or stroke risk [22], coronary cardioprotection [18], and traumatic brain injury neuroprotection [4].…”

“…Chronic alcohol abuse negatively impacts the function of antigenpresenting cells and the activation of T cells during the cell-mediated immune response [24]. Additionally, in a study of 7631 patients with documented alcohol use (making use of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from the American College of Surgeons of all elective surgeries), alcohol use independently predicted pneumonia (odds ratio [OR], 1.98), sepsis (OR, 1.19), superficial surgical-site infection (OR, 1.15), wound disruption (OR, 1.41), and prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS) (OR, 1.17) [19]. However, Di Castelnuovo et al [7] in a meta-analysis of prospective studies found the association between total mortality and alcohol intake was a J-shaped relationship because alcohol consumption, up to four drinks/day in men and two drinks/day in women, was inversely associated with total mortality.…”