RT Book, Section
A1 Ropper, Allan H.
A1 Samuels, Martin A.
A1 Klein, Joshua P.
SR Print(0)
ID 57629924
T1 Chapter 42. Alcohol and Alcoholism
T2 Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology, 10e
YR 2014
FD 2014
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0071794794
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=57629924
RD 2021/04/23
AB Intemperance  in  the  use  of  alcohol  creates  many  problems  in  modern  society,  the  importance  of  which  can  be  judged  by  the  emphasis  it  has  received  in  contemporary  writings,  both  literary  and  scientific.  These  problems  may  be  divided  into  three  categories:  psychologic,  medical,  and  sociologic.  The  main  psychologic  issue  regards  why  a  person  drinks  excessively,  often  with  full  knowledge  that  such  action  will  result  in  physical  injury  and  even  death.  The  medical  problem  embraces  all  aspects  of  alcoholic  addiction  and  habituation  as  well  as  the  diseases  that  result  from  the  abuse  of  alcohol.  The  sociologic  problem  encompasses  the  effects  of  sustained  drinking  on  the  patient's  work,  family,  and  community.  Some  idea  of  the  enormity  of  these  problems  can  be  gleaned  from  figures  supplied  by  the  secretary  of  Health  and  Human  Services,  which  indicate  that  up  to  40  percent  of  medical  and  surgical  patients  have  alcohol-related  problems  and  that  these  patients  account  for  15  percent  of  all  healthcare  costs.  Several  surveys  have  suggested  a  rate  of  alcohol  dependence  of  3  to  5.5  percent  of  adults.  A  minimum  of  3  percent  of  deaths  in  the  United  States  are  attributable  to  alcohol-related  causes.  More  striking,  but  not  at  all  surprising,  is  the  fact  that  alcohol  intoxication  is  responsible  for  approximately  45  percent  of  fatal  motor  vehicle  accidents  and  22  percent  of  boating  accidents.  It  requires  little  imagination  to  conceive  the  havoc  wrought  by  alcohol  in  terms  of  suicide,  accidents,  crime,  mental  and  physical  disease,  and  disruption  of  family  life.  Finally,  the  problems  engendered  by  excessive  drinking  cannot  easily  be  separated  from  one  another.