Citation

Madan AK, Yu K, Beech DJ. J. Trauma 1999; 47(3): 568-571.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10498317

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol and drug use has been implicated as a contributing factor to all types of trauma. This investigation seeks to determine the prevalence of alcohol and drug use in patients who are victims of life-threatening injuries and the association of alcohol and drug use with intentional trauma. METHODS: The Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans (Charity Campus) trauma registry was used to identify patients sustaining life-threatening injuries that presented to our American College of Surgeons Level 1 trauma center over a 6-month period. Serum ethanol levels and urine toxicology were assessed at initial presentation for all patients. RESULTS: A total of 557 patients were evaluated. Seventy percent (n = 319) of tested patients (n = 450) had positive serum ethanol and/or urine toxicology results. Male gender (75% vs. 55%; p < 0.001) was associated with positive screens; ethnicity was not. No difference in hospital days or mortality was seen between positive and negative screens. Victims of intentional trauma showed a higher percent of positive screens (80% vs. 63%; p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that alcohol and drug use is associated with life-threatening injury, especially intentional injury. Prevention of substance abuse is essential for the prevention of trauma.