Alcohol-use disorder

Monitoring by a clinician is recommended weekly or every 2 weeks for patients attempting to cut down alcohol use or initiate abstinence in the outpatient setting. This is particularly necessary if the patient is utilising pharmacological treatment for abstinence. Even after stopping medication, periodic clinician monitoring is strongly recommended to evaluate the general condition of the patient and the risk of return to unhealthy use.

Laboratory studies can be useful to verify the patient's general medical status. Liver function tests including gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase may be useful. Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin can also provide information about the level of recent alcohol use. Mean corpuscular volume, uric acid, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level may provide additional information.

US guidance recommends that all adults aged 19 and above who have ongoing alcohol-use disorder and who are not yet vaccinated against pneumococcal disease are offered pneumococcal vaccination.[133]Kobayashi M, Pilishvili T, Farrar JL, et al. Pneumococcal vaccine for adults aged ≥19 years: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2023. MMWR Recomm Rep 2023;72(No. RR-3):1–39. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/rr/rr7203a1.htm?s_cid=rr7203a1_w