Inter-Hospital Escalation-of-Care Referrals for Severe Alcohol-Related Liver Disease with Recent Drinking During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Po‐Hung Chen, Peng–Sheng Ting, Erik Almazan, Geetanjali Chander, Andrew M. Cameron, Ahmet Gürakar
Abstract
Alcohol sales and consumption have increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, but their downstream effects on alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) are unclear. We analyzed inter-hospital escalation-of-care referrals to our tertiary care inpatient liver unit across 18 months through December 2020. There was a significant rise in severe ALD with recent unhealthy drinking in our regional community during the pandemic.
Topics & Concepts
PandemicMedicineCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Emergency medicineAlcoholic liver diseaseAlcohol consumptionLiver diseaseDiseaseAlcohol and healthSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Alcohol2019-20 coronavirus outbreakEnvironmental healthInfectious disease (medical specialty)Internal medicineVirologyOutbreakCirrhosisChemistryBiochemistryAlcohol Consumption and Health EffectsLiver Disease Diagnosis and TreatmentSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes