Brief interventions in emergency departments for alcohol use disorder

Introduction: Given the high prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) amongst patients in Emergency Rooms (ER), it is recommended to carry out a systematized screening of at-risk drinkers, followed if necessary by a brief intervention (BI) to prevent AUD-related damages. This intervention has been the subject of numerous efficacy and feasibility studies. The purpose of this review of the literature is to identify optimal strategies for systematic screening and BI that can be deployed in the ER. Methods: We selected randomized controlled trials, meta-analysis and reviews of the literature published between July 2014 and March 2019 evaluating the effectiveness of BI in the ER on reducing alcohol consumption. Results: Thirteen articles were included. There is a significant heterogeneity of the methodologies used and the interventions carried out. The majority of studies conclude in the effectiveness of BI on reducing alcohol consumption, with however differences between the studies in effect size, and an effectiveness that seems to decrease over time. Conclusion: The BI in the ER appears to be effective on reducing alcohol consumption but with a modest effect size and heterogeneity of the interventions tested, so that the optimal modalities of its implementation remain to be defined. Further studies to compare different interventions and identify at-risk subgroups would be needed to optimize the use of BI in the ER.