Somatic comorbidity of addicts: does hospitalization yield relevant findings?

FRANÇAIS :
Dans une clinique psychiatrique universitaire, la comorbidité somatique de patients dépendants a été évaluée par des examens de laboratoire, radiologique et électrocardiologique, et par le nombre de consultations non-psychiatriques. Parmi les 111 patients étudiés (dont 32 femmes) deux groupes ont été distingués : celui des dépendances à l'alcool et celui des autres dépendances comprenant la polyconsommation et la dépendance aux opiacés. Les patients alcooliques sont caractérisés par une vitesse cardiaque élevée et les usagers de drogues injectables par de plus grands risques d'hépatite C. Environ un tiers des patients ont eu recours à des consultations non-psychiatriques. Les troubles pulmonaires et cardiaques concomitants sont plus prononcés dans le groupe des alcooliques. Cette importante comorbidité a un impact sur les coûts et nécessiterait des programmes spécifiques de désintoxication.
ENGLISH:
The aim of this prospective study was to examine the severity and character of somatic comorbidity when addicted patients were admitted to hospital for detoxification. The study was conducted at a university-based psychiatric clinic. Somatic comorbidity was registered by laboratory, radiological and electrocardiographic parameters and by the amount of non-psychiatric consultations. Besides the num- ber of patients with dual diagnosis interpreted as combination of addictive and psychiatric diseases was registered. A total of 111 consecutive patients (32 women) was divided into patients with alcohol dependence and patients with other addictive diseases including polydrug abuse and opiate dependence. Patients with alcohol dependence were character- and hi her values for y-glutamyltransfer-ase. No significant differences between groups could be found for the rate corrected QT interval and cardiothoracic ratio. Although viral liver disease was diagnosed in both groups patients with a history of injecting drug use were at greatest risk for hepatitis C. About one-third of all patients required consultant non-psychiatric treatment. Concomitant heart and pulmonary diseases were more pronounced in the alcohol dependence group. The findings emphasize that hospitalization of ad- dicted patients yields relevant somatic morbidity which has an impact on cost and requires medically supervised detoxification programs. (Author' s abstract)