*Alcohol Problems

Question 1

What is the current UK alcohol guidance?

Answer 1

Men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week
Ideally, this should be spread evenly over 3 days or more

Question 2

What are the acute effects of excess alcohol consumption?

Answer 2

CNS = accidents, violence
GI = oesophagitis, gastritis/ ulceration, acute pancreatitis
Respiratory = overdose, aspiration

Question 3

What are the GI chronic effects of excess alcohol consumption?

Answer 3

GI (stomach, liver, pancreas)

Question 4

What are the CV effects of chronic alcohol consumption?

Answer 4

CV (hypertension, cardiomyopathy, MI, stroke)

Question 5

What are the CNS effects of chronic alcohol consumption?

Answer 5

CNS (neuropathies, cerebellar degeneration, dementia, wernicke-korsakoff’s syndrome (due to a thiamine deficinecy)

Question 6

What are the haematological effects of chronic alcohol consumption?

Answer 6

Anaemia

Bone marrow depression

Question 7

What are the Musculoskeletal effects of chronic alcohol consumption?

Answer 7

proximal myopathy

Oestoporesis

Question 8

Apart from GI, CV, CNS, MSK, and haematological effects of chronic alcohol consumption, what other systems are affected?

Answer 8

Endocrine
Dermatologic
Reproductive

Question 9

How many drinks can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome?

Answer 9

7-14 drinks/ week

Question 10

What are the symptoms/ signs of foetal alcohol syndrome?

Answer 10

Growth deficiency
Mental retardation/ intellectual impairment
Additional learning disabilities
Behavioural problems