Patient Outcomes Based on Detoxification Circumstances

Addiction has been a problem in all areas for decades. It can be applied to anything from over-eating to use of illicit substances. While each addiction is likely present in every population, alcohol addiction/abuse is very prevalent in Route County, Colorado. The Yampa Valley Medical Center sees many patients presenting in the Emergency Department with high blood alcohol content each week, many of them repeatedly. This poses the question to the caregivers of whether putting the addicts through hospital detoxification repeatedly is harming them mentally and physically more than just allowing them to return to a safe blood alcohol content and leave, waiting for them to be ready to choose and plan a detoxification. The proposed study attempts to answer this question; In addicted patients living in the United States, how does planned detoxification compare to unplanned detoxification with regards to both mental and physical patient outcomes? The answer to this question is essential for nurses to know to ensure higher levels of compliance with patients, increasing community health. It is important for nurses to provide and advocate for the care that will serve the patient better in the long run, even if it may not be what first appears to be the healthiest decision.