Citation

Yadollahi M, Pazhuheian F. East Mediterr. Health J. 2020; 26(12): 1525-1531.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, World Health Organization)

DOI

10.26719/emhj.20.057

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is strong evidence that a substantial number of fatal as well as nonfatal injuries in road traffic accidents result from alcohol consumption and abuse. AIMS: To examine the relationship between blood alcohol concentration and characteristics of injury in trauma patients admitted to a major teaching hospital.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional investigation of trauma characteristics among 38 435 car and motorcycle drivers referred to the South of Iran Trauma Center between October and March 2018. A log-binomial regression model was used to evaluate the relative risk of each covariate on the Injury Severity Score.

RESULTS: There were 253 patients (7.78%) with alcohol consumption. Also, blood alcohol level was positive in 8.66% and 6.93% of car and motorcycle drivers, respectively. The ISS in alcohol consumers and nonconsumers was 6.34 (standard deviation; 8.73) and 4.12 (7.78), respectively, which was significantly higher in the alcohol consumers (t test = 12.96, P < 0.001). Therefore, alcohol consumption was a significant factor in increasing the relative risk of injury, which was 2.83 units more than among drivers who had not consumed alcohol.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that the police and law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to enforce stricter rules to reduce drink driving and the burden of trauma on the healthcare system.

Keywords: ethanol impaired driving

Language: en

Keywords

Injury Severity Score; drink driving; Islamic Republic of Iran; traffic accident