TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1999//
TI  - Alcohol and drug use in victims of life-threatening trauma
JO  - Journal of trauma
A1  - Beech, D. J.
A1  - Yu, K.
A1  - Madan, Atul K.
SP  - 568
EP  - 571
VL  - 47
IS  - 3
N2  - OBJECTIVE: Alcohol and drug use has been implicated as a contributing factor to all types of trauma. This investigation seeks to determine the prevalence of alcohol and drug use in patients who are victims of life-threatening injuries and the association of alcohol and drug use with intentional trauma. METHODS: The Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans (Charity Campus) trauma registry was used to identify patients sustaining life-threatening injuries that presented to our American College of Surgeons Level 1 trauma center over a 6-month period. Serum ethanol levels and urine toxicology were assessed at initial presentation for all patients. RESULTS: A total of 557 patients were evaluated. Seventy percent (n = 319) of tested patients (n = 450) had positive serum ethanol and/or urine toxicology results. Male gender (75% vs. 55%; p < 0.001) was associated with positive screens; ethnicity was not. No difference in hospital days or mortality was seen between positive and negative screens. Victims of intentional trauma showed a higher percent of positive screens (80% vs. 63%; p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that alcohol and drug use is associated with life-threatening injury, especially intentional injury. Prevention of substance abuse is essential for the prevention of trauma.
LA  - 
SN  - 0022-5282
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -