TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Use of alcohol and illicit drugs by trauma patients in Sao Paulo, Brazil
JO  - Injury
A1  - Bombana, Henrique Silva
A1  - Bogstrand, Stig Tore
A1  - Gjerde, Hallvard
A1  - Jamt, Ragnhild Elén Gjulem
A1  - Carvalho, Heraclito Barbosa de
A1  - Andreuccetti, Gabriel
A1  - Bernini, Celso de Oliveira
A1  - Muñoz, Daniel Romero
A1  - Leyton, Vilma
A1  - Greve, Julia Maria D'Andréa
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Alcohol and illicit drugs impair cognitive and psychomotor skills and may thereby increase the risk of involvement in a road traffic crash and other types of injuries. However, the knowledge on the use of psychoactive substances among injured patients presenting to emergency departments in low and middle-income countries remains limited. AIMS: To estimate the prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug use among patients with traumatic injuries admitted to an emergency department in Sao Paulo, Brazil. <br><br>METHODS: Blood samples from injured patients requiring hospitalization for more than 24 h due to road traffic crashes, falls, or violence, were collected from July 2018 to June 2019. The samples were analyzed for alcohol and illicit drugs. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 376 patients were included in this study; the median age was 36 years and 80% of patients were male. The majority (56%) of injuries resulted from road traffic crashes, with approximately half of them being motorcyclists. Alcohol, drugs, or both were detected in 32% of samples. The proportion that tested positive was highest for males (35%), for the age group 18-39 years (41%), for singles (43%), and for patients injured at nighttime (44%). Patients injured due to violence had the highest prevalence of alcohol or drugs in their blood samples (44%). Alcohol was most prevalent (23%), followed by cocaine (12%) and cannabis (5%). <br><br>CONCLUSION: The use of alcohol and illicit drugs was common among injured patients in Sao Paulo; it was likely a contributing factor in a third of the injurious accidents. Alcohol was the most prevalent substance followed by cocaine and cannabis.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0020-1383
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2021.10.032
ID  - ref1
ER  -