Table 2.
Characteristics of Medical Inpatients Stratified by Benzodiazepine Dosing Strategy for AWS in the Veterans Health Administration During 2013a,b,c
| Variable | Fixed dose (N=2829) | Symptom triggered (N=2909) | Front loading (N=1200) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | <.001 | |||
| <40 | 154 (5.4) | 213 (7.3) | 75 (6.2) | |
| 40-49 | 354 (12.5) | 414 (14.2) | 174 (14.5) | |
| 50-59 | 1049 (37.1) | 1035 (35.6) | 482 (40.2) | |
| 60-69 | 1055 (37.3) | 1056 (36.3) | 413 (34.4) | |
| ≥70 | 217 (7.7) | 191 (6.6) | 56 (4.7) | |
| Male | 2757 (97.5) | 2811 (96.6) | 1167 (97.2) | .17 |
| Race | <.001 | |||
| White | 1951 (69.0) | 2206 (75.8) | 865 (72.1) | |
| Black | 602 (21.3) | 402 (13.8) | 189 (15.7) | |
| Hispanic/Latinx | 107 (3.8) | 114 (3.9) | 69 (5.7) | |
| Other race/ethnicity | 81 (2.9) | 77 (2.6) | 38 (3.2) | |
| Unknown | 88 (3.1) | 110 (3.8) | 39 (3.2) | |
| Single | 2220 (78.5) | 2337 (80.3) | 947 (78.9) | .20 |
| Homeless | 864 (30.5) | 920 (31.6) | 363 (30.2) | .57 |
| Prior-year AWS and/or AUD | ||||
| AWS | 1355 (47.9) | 1500 (51.6) | 650 (54.2) | <.001 |
| AUD | 2483 (87.8) | 2554 (87.8) | 1023 (85.2) | .06 |
| AWS/AUD | 2528 (89.4) | 2600 (89.4) | 1051 (87.6) | .20 |
| Comorbid inpatient diagnosesd | ||||
| Mental health disorder | 1381 (48.8) | 1555 (53.4) | 577 (48.1) | <.001 |
| Nutrition, electrolyte, or acid-base disorder | 1293 (45.7) | 1252 (43.0) | 569 (47.4) | .02 |
| Kidney injury | 341 (12.1) | 366 (12.6) | 202 (16.8) | <.001 |
| Seizure | 289 (10.2) | 229 (7.9) | 151 (12.6) | <.001 |
| Pancreaticobiliary disease | 232 (8.2) | 291 (10.0) | 127 (10.6) | .02 |
| Pneumonia | 173 (6.1) | 189 (6.5) | 124 (10.3) | <.001 |
| Sepsis/shock | 148 (5.2) | 194 (6.7) | 111 (9.2) | <.001 |
| Malignancy | 117 (4.1) | 87 (3.0) | 28 (2.3) | <.01 |
| Myocardial infarction | 49 (1.7) | 54 (1.9) | 41 (3.4) | <.01 |
a
AUD, alcohol use disorder; AWS, alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
b
Data are presented as No. (percentage) of patients.
c
χ2 Tests were used to assess differences across groups.
d
Inpatient diagnoses that did not differ by benzodiazepine dosing strategy: gastrointestinal tract disorder, liver injury, musculoskeletal or soft tissue disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, other substance use condition, cardiac dysrhythmia, diabetes mellitus, trauma, congestive heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease.