アルコール依存症に対する一般臨床医の責任―入院患者飲酒傾向の調査より

Responsibility of General Physicians Regarding Alcohol Dependence Syndrome : From research on alcohol drinking tendency among inpatients

　約220万人のアルコール依存症患者の現状は，末期にその1％が専門医療を受けるのみであるが，進行性の高死亡率の疾患である認識が必要である．初期に患者が頻回受診する一般医では臓器治療に目を奪われ，根本の依存症が放置され，飲酒が助長されている．筆者の入院患者の飲酒傾向調査では8人に1人（男で4人に1人）の疾患背景に問題飲酒があった．早期から断酒の指導を専門機関と連携実施すべきと考え，いくつかの試みを紹介する．

It is estimated that there are about two million and two hundred thousand patients with alcohol dependence in Japan. Although this syndrome is progressive one with poor prognosis, almost no attention has been paid to such a fact. Consequently as small as one percent of the patients with this syndrome receive treatments at its very end stage. Not a few patients with this syndrome in fact visit general clinics and hospitals, but they are treated only for their physical problems. Because their alcohol dependency is not pointed out, ruinous drinking is left alone or accelerated.