Citation

Soderstrom CA, Kerns TJ, Kufera JA, Dischinger PC. Proc. Int. Counc. Alcohol Drugs Traffic Safety Conf. 2002; 2002: 493-498.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, The author(s) and the Council, Publisher International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Most studies of substance abuse among injured crash victims have focused on vehicular occupants. This study compared demographic factors and toxicology test results (alcohol, cocaine, opiates, cannabis) in a large cohort of injured occupants and pedestrians admitted to a trauma center. Data were analyzed from a large clinical toxicology database from 1996 through 2000. There were 9,947 occupants and 1,547 pedestrians available for study. Alcohol and other drug testing rates were 98% and 47%, respectively, with no testing biases. Sixty-one percent of occupants and 73% of pedestrians were men (p<.01). Thirty-four percent of occupants were about 40 years compared with 39% of pedestrians (p<0.01). Compared with occupants, significantly higher percentages of pedestrians tested positive for alcohol (27% vs 20%, p<.01), cocaine (20% vs 9%, p<.01) and opiates (24% vs 18%, p<.01) There was no statistical difference in the percentage of pedestrians (13%) and occupants (15%) testing positive for cannabis.