Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Preoperative alcohol use disorders and adverse outcomes in surgical patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors' conclusion
Surgical patients with alcohol use disorder were associated with worse postoperative outcomes, including higher rates of respiratory complications and infections, longer length of hospital stay and increased in-hospital mortality.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing surgery
- Participants
- 18,472,205 adults · 35 studies
- Comparison
- Preoperative unhealthy alcohol use vs no unhealthy alcohol use
- Outcome
- Postoperative outcomes
- Follow-up
- Within 12 months
Methodological detailsrandom-effects meta-analysis
- Random-effects meta-analysis
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
UAU vs No UAURelative risk (95% CI)P value
Respiratory complications; alcohol use disorder
2.59(1.51–4.45)
P = 0.0005Infections/wound complications; alcohol use disorder
1.71(1.37–2.15)
P < 0.0001In-hospital mortality; alcohol use disorder
1.67(1.21–2.29)
P = 0.002UAU vs No UAUMean difference, days (95% CI)P value
Hospital LOS; alcohol use disorder
0.76(0.24–1.29)
P = 0.004Original publication
Preoperative alcohol use disorders and adverse outcomes in surgical patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth. Published 31 March 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →