J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2006 Jun;17(3):231-237.

Effect of Alcohol Ingestion on the Severity and Outcome in Trauma Patients

• Choi YH
• Kim GB
• Lee DH
• Eo EK
• Jung KY
• Kim JS
• Shin DW
• Kim SE
• Lee MJ

Abstract

PURPOSE: Although alcohol is frequently present in injury patients, whether it exacerbates injury and whether tolerance to alcohol changes such a relationship is less clear. We investigated alcohol's role in injury and the effect of alcohol on the severity of injury.
METHODS
This prospective study was performed from July 20, 2004, to October 20, 2004, at five university hospital emergency departments (ED). We studied trauma patients, excluding pediatric patients (15 year old and under), alcohol consumption over the 6 hours prior to visiting the ED and continuous drinking after injury. Patients were screened by blood tests for the presence of alcohol and were classified into two groups by alcohol consumption. The injury severity was measured by using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and the Injury Severity Score (ISS).
RESULTS
The study enrolled 361 injured patients, of whom 105 were intoxicated and 256 were not intoxicated. Alcohol consumption was significantly larger in males than in females and in cases involving violence. The injury severities were not correlated with alcohol consumption significantly between intoxicated patients and not intoxicated patients. were not significantly different. However, the number of days in the intensive care unit and the mortality correlated with alcohol consumption. In patients with severe injuries (ISS> or =15, AIS> or =3), alcohol consumption was correlated with severity of the injury.
CONCLUSION
Alcohol intoxication is not associated with injury severity. But in patients with severe injuries (ISS> or =15, head AIS> or =3), alcohol consumption was correlated with injury severity.

Keyword

Alcohol; Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS); Injury Severity Score (ISS)

MeSH Terms

Abbreviated Injury Scale
Alcohol Drinking
Drinking
Eating*
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Head
Hematologic Tests
Humans
Injury Severity Score
Intensive Care Units
Male
Mortality
Prospective Studies
Violence