Epidemiological and Clinical Characterization of Hospitalized Patients with Acute Alcohol Intoxication in Different Age Groups

WANG Wenqian; YUAN Ding; ZHANG Yan; HOU Linlin; GAO Yanxia

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-437X.2025.05.004

Abstract：Objective To explore the epidemiological situation and prehospital symptoms and comorbidities related to acute alcohol intoxication in hospitalized patients of different age groups,and to provide reference for prehospital rescue of acute alcohol intoxication patients.Methods A total of 235 patients with acute alcohol intoxication admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2011 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into the minor group,adult group,and elderly group according to their ages,and the general data,prehospital symptoms and comorbidities were compared among the three groups of patients.Results Patients hospitalized with acute alcohol intoxication were predominantly male(81.70％),with a median age of 37(27,48)years,predominantly moderately intoxicated(65.11％)and severely intoxicated(28.09％),and with a median number of days in hospital of 2(1,6)days.The top five pre-hospital symptoms in patients with acute alcohol intoxication were impaired consciousness(62.55％),vomiting(47.66％),dyspnea(22.98％),psychiatric symptoms(17.02％),and ataxia(14.89％).The top five comorbidities in patients with acute alcohol intoxication were metabolic disorders(40.85％),pulmonary infection(27.66％),trauma(22.13％),hepatic impairment(16.60％),and gastrointestinal bleeding(12.94％).Among patients of different age groups,the proportion of severe poisoning was higher in elderly patients than in underage and adult patients,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The prehospital symptoms of minor patients were mainly impaired consciousness,and trauma was more likely to occur among the comorbidities of adult patients than those of other age groups,and impaired consciousness,hypotension,and cyanosis of the skin/lips were more likely to occur among the prehospital symptoms of elderly patients than those of other age groups,and gastrointestinal hemorrhage,cardiac muscle injury,lung infection,and respiratory failure were more likely to occur among the comorbidities,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion The clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with acute alcohol intoxication in different age groups are different,with a high proportion of prehospital development of consciousness disorder in underage patients,and prehospital development of consciousness and circulation disorder in elderly patients,which are more likely to be combined with respiratory and digestive diseases,so the prehospital treatment should focus on consciousness and circulation status of the underage and the elderly.