RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES
OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
FOR THE ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED
PATIENT
The following Best Practices are intended to serve as the basis for changing
how patients with AUPs are treated in the ambulance, the emergency department,
and the trauma center. Notes regarding the recommendations can be found in
Appendix C.
Recommended Best Practices for Pre-Hospital Professionals
- Assess the patient(s) and document for signs and symptoms of alcohol use
problems and assess the environment for alcohol-related risk factors.
- Report information on alcohol use problems (AUPs) to hospital personnel.
- Assist with on scene information and referrals for AUP patients.
- Provide care for the alcohol-impaired patient(s) in a professional and
non-judgmental manner.
- Advocate in the community for public education, prevention programs,
public policy, and treatment programs for AUPs.
- Participate in collaborative research, education, and data gathering to
improve the care of patients with AUPs.
- Integrate alcohol screening and alcohol education into curricula,
continuing education, and standards for emergency health care professionals.
Recommended Best Practices for Nurses
- Listen to pre-hospital professionals’ report and elicit patient
information indicative of AUP.
- Identify alcohol-related events in initial assessment of the patient.
- Perform an assessment using appropriate tools, such as history, physical
examination, and screening tools.
- Document objective findings of assessment, interventions, and plan of care
for patient with AUP.
- Collaborate with health care team to implement interventions, such as
brief interventions, discharge planning, and referral.
- Communicate plan of care to appropriate services, such as physicians,
substance abuse counselors, referral agencies, and inpatient caregivers.
- Provide care for the alcohol-impaired patient(s) in a professional and
non-judgmental manner.
- Advocate in the community for public education, prevention programs,
public policy, and treatment programs for AUPs.
- Participate in collaborative research, education, and data gathering to
improve the care of patients with AUPs.
- Integrate alcohol screening and alcohol education into curricula,
continuing education, and standards for emergency health care professionals.
Recommended Best Practices for Physicians
- Physicians should incorporate screening for alcohol use problems (AUPs)
into routine care of injured patients.
- Physicians should document history and physical findings consistent with
AUPs.
- Physicians should provide for a brief intervention for patients who screen
positive for alcohol use problems.
- Physicians should be aware of state laws and consider the reporting of
alcohol use problems in accordance with these laws.3
- Provide care for alcohol-impaired patient(s) in a professional and
non-judgmental manner.
- Advocate in the community for public education, prevention programs,
public policy, and treatment programs for AUPs.
- Participant in collaborative research, education and data gathering to
improve the care of patients with AUPs.
- Integrate alcohol screening and alcohol education into curricula,
continuing education, and standards for emergency health care professionals.4
- For those patients who cannot operate a motor vehicle safely.
- For example, trauma surgeons.