@article{ref1,
title="Significant reductions in drinking following brief alcohol treatment provided in a hepatitis C clinic",
journal="Psychosomatics",
year="2010",
author="Dieperink, Eric and Ho, Samuel B. and Heit, Sara and Durfee, Janet M. and Thuras, P. and Willenbring, Mark L.",
volume="51",
number="2",
pages="149-156",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Although the hepatitis C virus (HCV) alone increases the risk of cirrhosis, alcohol use is thought to act synergistically with HCV to significantly hasten the development of fibrosis. OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed the impact of brief medical counseling or integrated-care approaches to lessen or eliminate alcohol use in these vulnerable patients. METHOD: This retrospective study describes the effect of brief alcohol treatment delivered in a hepatitis clinic on drinking outcomes and antiviral treatment eligibility: 47 heavy-drinking chronic hepatitis C patients received a brief intervention performed by medical clinicians, with follow-up by a psychiatric nurse-specialist. RESULTS: At the last follow-up, 62% of patients reported >50% drinking reduction; these included 36% who achieved abstinence. Only 6% of patients were excluded from antiviral therapy. DISCUSSION: Brief treatment addressing heavy drinking delivered by hepatitis clinicians with psychiatric-specialist follow-up was associated with abstinence or a significant reduction in alcohol consumption in over 50% of patients.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0033-3182",
doi="10.1176/appi.psy.51.2.149",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.psy.51.2.149"
}