Dynamics of Ethanolic Intoxications between the 15th of March 2020 to the 15th of March 2021 in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In Romania, the consumption of alcoholic beverages has been and still is a cultural mechanism for socializing and reducing anxiety, regardless of age and gender. This paper evaluates the trends related to people diagnosed with acute intoxication (F10.0) and harmful use (F10.1) at the 'Elisabeta Doamna' Psychiatriy Hospital in Galati, during the pandemic, in the period between the 15th of March 2020 and the 15th of March 2021. We analysed the data base of discharges from the 'Elisabeta Doamna' Psychiatry Hospital from the 15th of March 2020 to the 15th of March 2021. ICD-10 (Classification of mental and behavioural disorders) was used for diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. We selected outpatients with the codes for acute intoxication (F10.0) and harmful use (F10.1) and excluded all patients with other psychiatric diagnoses. The data were statistically processed using: Microsoft Office-Excel, The jamovi project (2021) jamovi (Version 1.6) [Computer Software]. During the analysed period, there were 7614 discharges from the 'Elisabeta Doamna' Psychiatriy Hospital of which 1465 (20.08%) disorders were related to alcohol consumption. Disorders related to intoxication and alcohol use represent 13.14% (957 cases) of the total discharges and 65.46% of the total number of disorders related to alcohol. Disorders related to harmful use (F10.1) represent 30.31% (442 cases), and a percentage of 35.15% (515 cases) with disorders due to acute intoxication (F10.0) out of the total cases were related to alcohol consumption. From the view of the dispersion of the number of cases, there is a fluctuation in the tendency to follow the restrictions imposed by the authorities.