RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Assessment and management of alcohol dependence and withdrawal in the acute hospital: concise guidance JF Clinical Medicine JO Clin Med FD Royal College of Physicians SP 266 OP 271 DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.12-3-266 VO 12 IS 3 A1 Stephen Stewart A1 Sharon Swain YR 2012 UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/12/3/266.abstract AB Alcohol dependence is common among patients attending acute hospitals. It can be the major reason for attendance or a significant cofactor. Assessment of these patients in the acute setting can be challenging owing to the multidisciplinary approach required. Doctors in acute hospitals are often inexperienced in managing dependence, a mental health problem. They might focus on the physical harms or the withdrawal, a consequence of the dependence. For this reason, assessment of dependence and prevention and management of acute alcohol withdrawal are often suboptimal. There is little existing guidance on how to manage this patient population, especially in non-specialist settings. With recently published National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on the management of dependence and withdrawal, now is the perfect time to produce concise guidelines in the hope that a more succinct suite of guidance can reach a larger audience.