Citation

Cordovilla Guardia S, Rodríguez-Bolaños S, Guerrero López F, Lara-Rosales R, Pino Sánchez F, Rayo A, Fernández-Mondéjar E. Med. Intensiva 2013; 37(1): 6-11.

Vernacular Title

El consumo de alcohol y/o drogas favorece la reincidencia en el traumatismo y reduce el período sin traumatismos.

Affiliation

Servicio de Cuidados Críticos y Urgencias, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, España.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.medin.2012.04.010

PMID

22749460

Abstract

AIM: A study is made of the influence of alcohol and/or drug abuse upon traumatismo recurrence, with an analysis of the influence of such abuse upon the time to appearance of first injury in patients without antecedents of trauma. DESIGN: A prospective observational study was made. SETTING: Trauma patients admitted to the Intensive care Unit (ICU) of a University Hospital. PATIENTS: Trauma patients admitted to the ICU. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Trauma recurrence was defined by a history of previous trauma requiring medical care. The presence of alcohol and other drugs of abuse were determined upon admission after severe trauma. RESULTS: Out of the 166 trauma patients admitted to the ICU during the study period, 102 (87 males) were included in the study. Some substance was detected in 51 patients (50%), most frequently in the males (48/87, p<0.02). The most frequently detected substance was alcohol (39%), followed by cannabis (12%) and cocaine (7%), while more than one substance was found in 10 patients (9.8%). Of the 102 patients, 42 were recurrent trauma cases, and 32 (76%) of them were substance-positive, while only 10 were substance-negative (p<0.001). Of the 60 patients without antecedents of trauma, 19 (32%) were substance-positive, and these were significantly younger (34.3±9 years) than the 41 subjects who were substance-negative (48±23 years) (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Alcohol and/or drug abuse increases the likelihood of recurrent trauma and may shorten the mean trauma-free period among patients without a history of trauma by almost 15 years.

Language: es