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Citation
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Bjarkø VV, Skandsen T, Moen KG, Gulati S, Helseth E, Nilsen TI, Vik A. World Neurosurg. 2019; 122: e684-e689. |
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Affiliation
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Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neurosurgery, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Knowledge about the causes and time of injury for traumatic brain injury (TBI) is important for the development of efficient prevention policies.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study time of injury and relation to alcohol intoxication for moderate to severe TBI in a level 1 trauma center in Norway.
METHODS: From October 2004 to September 2014, 493 consecutive moderate (Glasgow Coma Scale score [GCS] 9-13) and severe TBI (GCS score 3-8) patients (≥16 years) were prospectively included in the Trondheim TBI Study (222 moderate and 270 severe TBI patients).
RESULTS: Mean age was 47 years (SD 21). Positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was found in 29% and median BAC was 41.5 mmol/l (IQR 28.7 to 54.3), equal to 1.91‰. Admissions were more frequent on Saturdays (RR 2.67, 95% CI 1.87 to 3.80) and Sundays (RR 2.10, 95% CI 1.45 to 3.03) compared to Mondays, and positive BAC was more common on weekends than weekdays (43% versus 16%). Furthermore, admissions were more frequent in June (RR 2.26, 95% CI 1.44 to 3.55), July (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.31 to 3.28) and December (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.31 to 3.28) compared to January. The number of patients with positive BAC was highest in December (RR 5.75, 95% CI 1.99 to 16.63) and 70% of these were caused by falls.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that moderate to severe TBI admissions display a clear weekly and seasonal variation, and that alcohol is an important modifiable risk factor for moderate to severe TBI.; Abbreviations: BAC = Blood alcohol concentration, GCS = Glasgow coma scale, TBI = Traumatic brain injury.
Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Language: en |