To Conduct a Good Alcohol and Drug Assessment, you have to build rapport and trust with the drug or alcohol abuser with explaining confidentiality and interviewing the patient individually. You need to be careful not to behave in a pretentious manner and conduct yourself in a down-to-earth way and be yourself. After that, gather from the patient a comprehensive history of his drug and alcohol abuse. You should determine what sorts of drugs have been used habitually. You can ask the patient about the frequency and duration of use, how the drug was administered as well as any treatment methods used in the past.

Then, Conduct the first physical examination with observing the intoxication level or withdrawal symptoms of the patient. You have to watch for signs including dilated pupils, drowsiness and slurred speech to determine the level of withdrawal. Next, conduct the second physical examination for medical complications with observing the mental state of the patient and vital signs. You need to track marks that indicate needle use. You must be alert for swollen lymph nodes and problems in the heart, lungs and liver.

Continue reading →