| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2018 | Volume
: 5
| Issue : 2 | Page : 139-142 |
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Inpatient treatment outcomes of aged substance-using patients admitted to a tertiary care center
Preethy Kathiresan, Siddharth Sarkar, Yatan Pal Singh Balhara
Department of Psychiatry and National Drug Dependence Treatment Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Preethy Kathiresan
Department of Psychiatry, National Drug Dependence Treatment Center, Psychiatry Office, 4th Floor, Teaching Block, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi - 110 049
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jgmh.jgmh_9_18
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Background and Aims: Studies on aged substance users are few from the Indian subcontinent, though they are likely to represent a subgroup of patients with distinct clinical needs. This study aimed to present the inpatient treatment outcomes of such aged substance-using patients admitted to a tertiary care treatment facility in India. Methodology: This descriptive, retrospective chart-based study presents data of aged patients (age 50 years and above) admitted between January and December 2014 at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, Ghaziabad. Results: A total of 72 aged patients were admitted during this period out of total 953 admissions (7.6% of the sample). All of them were male. Forty patients (55.6%) had a diagnosis of alcohol dependence and 32 (44.4%) had a diagnosis of opioid dependence. The mean duration of stay was 12.9 (±9.6) days. Of these 72 patients, treatment could be completed for 57 patients (79.2%), while seven patients left against medical advice, four were discharged on disciplinary grounds, three were shifted to another facility (two due to medical reasons), and one absconded. Treatment completion rate was least among aged patients with only opioid dependence (25.65%). Conclusion: Medical issues may be a consideration of premature discharge among aged patients admitted for the treatment of substance use disorders. Furthermore, treatment noncompletion is more among aged patients with opioid use disorder than among alcohol use disorder. Further studies are needed with prospective methodology for the assessment of various factors associated with treatment completion, which can help to address the treatment needs of aged patients with substance use disorders, which in turn can lead to better treatment outcomes for them.
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