Premium
Influence of alcohol on several physiological functions and its reversibility: a surgical view
Author(s) -
Tennesen H.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1992.tb03318.x
Subject(s) - abstinence , alcohol , immune system , medicine , psychology , anesthesia , psychiatry , immunology , biology , biochemistry
Alcohol intake influences several physiological functions, including the haemostatic system, the cellular immune defence and the cardiac function, but to a different degree depending on the drinking habits. Restoration of these functions after withdrawal seems time related. The haemostatic imbalance normalizes within two or three weeks of soberness while the immune system requires about two months to recover. Recent studies have showed very increased postoperative morbidity after surgery in alcohol abusers, which may be explained by alcohol‐induced physiological dysfunctions. Theoretically, two months of abstinence before a surgical procedure would diminish the increased postoperative morbidity among alcohol abusers. However, further investigation is necessary to establish a clinical effect of preoperative withdrawal from alcohol.