@article{ref1,
title="Methamphetamine use in trauma patients: a population-based study",
journal="Journal of the American Academy of Surgeons",
year="1999",
author="Schermer, Carol R. and Wisner, D. H.",
volume="189",
number="5",
pages="442-449",
abstract="BACKGROUND: There are indications that methamphetamine production and illicit use are increasing. We investigated the epidemiology of methamphetamine use in trauma patients in an area of heavy methamphetamine prevalence. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective population-based review. We reviewed toxicology and alcohol test results in trauma patients admitted to the University of California, Davis, between 1989 and 1994 to the only trauma center serving a population of 1.1 million. RESULTS: Positive methamphetamine rates nearly doubled between 1989 (7.4%) and 1994 (13.4%), compared with a minimal increase in cocaine rates (5.8% to 6.2%) and a decrease in blood alcohol rates (43% to 35%). Methamphetamine-positive patients were most likely to be Caucasian or Hispanic; cocaine-positive patients were most likely to be African American. Methamphetamine-positive patients were most commonly injured in motor vehicle collisions or motorcycle collisions; cocaine-positive patients were most commonly injured by assaults, gunshot wounds, or stab wounds. Cocaine positivity and alcohol positivity predicted a decreased need for emergency surgery and cocaine positivity predicted a decreased need for admission to the ICU. CONCLUSIONS: Methamphetamine use in trauma patients increased markedly in our region between 1989 and 1994, alcohol rates decreased, and cocaine rates remained unchanged. Methamphetamine-positive patients had mechanisms of injury similar to those of alcohol-positive patients, so injury prevention strategies for methamphetamine should be patterned after strategies designed for alcohol.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1072-7515",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}