Surprisingly, studies have shown that these forms of questionnaires were superior to laboratory tests when identifying an alcoholic individual. However, the clinician should take precautions not to offend the client in any way. There are a vast number of systemic complications that can be attributed to excessive use of alcohol, some of which can be associated with the manifestations seen clinically. One common effect seen in alcoholics is malnutrition due to poor eating habits and impaired absorption of nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies in this group of patients can lead to anemia, neuropathy, Wernicke s disease, and depressed cellular and hormonal function .
Alcohol consumption can directly or indirectly result in damage to the liver.
This can be due to the fact that alcohol is metabolized in the liver and may result in fatty deposits, inflammation of liver cells or production of cirrhotic tissue, as seen in cirrhosis. Characteristic examples seen in the alcoholic include fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis would be considered the deadliest of the three. Among alcoholics, cirrhosis accounts for 75 percent of all deaths attributable to alcohol related medical causes . Furthermore, the prognosis for patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis is not good.