Citation

Martinez X, Plasencia A, Rodriguez-Martos A, Santamarina E, Marti J, Torralba L. Gac. Sanit. 2004; 18(5): 387-390.

Vernacular Title

Caracteristicas de los lesionados por accidente de trafico con alcoholemia

Affiliation

Servei de Medicina Preventiva i Epidemiologia. Hospital Vall d'Hebron. Barcelona. Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

15498409

Abstract

Objective: To identify the differential features of positive blood alcohol level (BAL) in people injured in road crashes who were attended an acute care service. Methods: Cross-sectional study of persons aged 18 years old or older injured in motor vehicle crashes who were attended in the Traumatology Emergency Department of Vall d'Hebron Hospital (Spain) between July 2001 and February 2002. Results: The study sample included 431 patients. A positive alcohol test was found in 13.7% of the sample. A statistically significant and independent association was found between positive BAL and male sex (odds ratio OR = 2.5 95% CI, 1.3-5.4), hospital admission (OR = 2.7 95% CI, 1.3-5.4), being attended on a weekend (OR = 3.7 95% CI, 2.0-6.9) and being attended during the night and early morning (OR = 4.6 95% CI, 2.0-10.3) or in the morning (OR = 3.6 95% CI, 1.5-8.4). Conclusions: The present study identifies a subgroup of people injured in motor vehicle crashes with a greater likelihood of positive BAL, in whom more active screening and secondary prevention activities should be implemented within traumatology and acute care settings.

Language: es