HEALTH experts are warning residents to be careful on the drink during the festive season, admitting alcohol had placed unnecessary pressure on emergency departments.
With growing concerns about the effect methamphetamines, or ‘ice’, is having on the country, a recent study has found alcohol is still the leading cause of emergency department admittance and is an issue that is affecting health services across the country.
Swan Hill District Health’s emergency department nurse unit manager Trish Oxley said patients being admitted with alcohol-related illness or injury was placing pressure on her staff, something that increased at this time of year.
“[Alcohol] unnecessarily places more pressure on staff, if people weren’t drinking and getting injured, it wouldn’t put restrictions on staff… it is self-inflicted on the most part,” she said.
“With the festive activities, we do see an increase [of alcohol-related patients], but that is normal.
“My advice would be to drink responsibly coming into the festive season and general awareness to the broader group to drink responsibly is key.”
Ms Oxley also said younger people were more at risk of being taken to hospital because of alcohol-related injuries or illness.
A report released by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine last week revealed one in 12 presentations to emergency departments, or 8 per cent of all patients, were due to alcohol-related injuries or illness.
The report also found that during ‘peak times’ — 6pm Friday to 6am Sunday — one-in-eight patients presented to triage because of alcohol-related issues.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (December 4).
