Unhealthy alcohol use in a 65-year-old man awaiting surgery

Three months before elective hip arthroplasty, a 65-year-old man with osteoarthritis presents to his family physician to discuss his alcohol consumption. His surgeon had expressed concern and advised him to speak to his family physician about decreasing his drinking before surgery. He reports drinki...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Medical Association journal (CMAJ) 2021-08, Vol.193 (32), p.E1250-E1252
Main Authors: Brothers, Thomas D, Kaulbach, Jillian, Tran, Allen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged men
Alcohol use
Alcohol withdrawal
Alcoholism
Alcoholism - complications
Alcoholism - physiopathology
Benzodiazepines
Cardiomyopathy
Care and treatment
Case reports
Case studies
Clinical trials
Cognitive ability
Counseling
Delirium
Disease prevention
Drug therapy
Elective surgery
Hepatitis
Humans
Intervention
Male
Mens health
Meta-analysis
Older people
Osteoarthritis
Patient education
Perioperative care
Practice
Preoperative care
Preoperative Period
Primary care
Validation studies
Vitamin B
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Description
Summary:Three months before elective hip arthroplasty, a 65-year-old man with osteoarthritis presents to his family physician to discuss his alcohol consumption. His surgeon had expressed concern and advised him to speak to his family physician about decreasing his drinking before surgery. He reports drinking around 6 to 10 ounces of whiskey daily for the past 5 years. His alcohol intake increased gradually after retirement, and he now has cravings daily. He recently abstained from alcohol for 4 days while visiting family and developed irritability, tremor, nausea and headache. He has never had withdrawal seizures or delirium tremens, and he does not use any other substances. He is otherwise healthy, apart from hypertension that is controlled with perindopril. He is alarmed by his cravings, withdrawal symptoms and surgeons concerns, and is considering decreasing his alcohol use.
ISSN:0820-3946
1488-2329
DOI:10.1503/cmaj.202128