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Detrimental effect of alcohol intoxication on severity of injuries in male traffic accident victims: A cross-sectional study

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Sozial- und Präventivmedizin

Summary

A cross-sectional emergency room study was performed among traffic accident victims aged 16 to 75 years in order to investigate the prevalence of alcohol intoxication (blood alcohol concentration (BAC≥0.8g/kg) and its potential detrimental effect on injury severity. A BAC ≥0.8g/kg was present in 29% of the male patients. Intoxicated patients had a similar propensity to require inpatient hospital care (65 versus 60%) but had significantly longer hospital stays than the non-intoxicated patients (36 versus 20 days; p<0.05), observations which may be explained by the higher prevalence of serious injuries (head and internal injuries) among the intoxicated cohort. This study supports and emphasizes the detrimental effect of alcohol intoxication on the severity of injuries in traffic accident victims, and reinforces the need for further legal and public health measures in preventing alcohol-related traffic accidents.

Résumé

Une étude transversale fut réalisée dans une station d'urgence d'un grand hôpital, dans le but de mesurer la fréquence d'une intoxication alcoolique aiguë parmi les accidentés de la route âgés de 20 à 75 ans, et d'investiguer l'effet aggravant éventuel de l'intoxication alcoolique sur le type et la sévérité des blessures. Une alcoolémie ≥0.8g/kg fut trouvée chez 29% des patients de sexe masculin. Ces patients eurent un taux d'hospitalisation similaire aux patients non intoxiqués (65 versus 60%), mais une durée d'hospitalisation considérablement plus longue (36 versus 20 jours; p<0.05). Cette différence pourrait être expliquée par une fréquence plus élevé de blessures de la tête et de blessures graves rencontrées chez les patients intoxiqués. Ces données suggèrent un rôle aggravant de l'intoxication alcoolique lors d'accident de la circulation et renforcent la nécessité d'une prévention plus efficace des accidents produits par l'alcool.

Zusammenfassung

In der Notfallstation eines grossen Spitals wurde eine Querschnittstudie durchgeführt. Deren Ziel bestand einerseits darin, die Häufigkeit akuter Alkoholintoxikation unter den 16–75jährigen, auf der Strasse Verunglückten festzustellen, zum anderen sollte der potentielle Effekt der Alkoholintoxikation (Blutalkoholkonzentration ≥0,8g/kg gefunden. Letztere wiesen eine Hospitalisationsrate auf, welche der von Nicht-Intoxikierten (65% versus 60%) gleichkam. Die Dauer der Hospitalisation jedoch, erwies sich als signifikant länger (36 versus 20 Tage; p<0,05). Die Tatsache, dass Alkoholintoxikierte, nicht nur schwerwiegendere Verletzungen, sondern auch häufiger Kopfverletzungen aufweisen, vermag diesen Unterschied zu erklären. Somit zeigt die durchgeführte Studie folgendes auf: den potentiellen Effekt einer Alkoholintoxikation während eines Strassenverkehrsunfalls und die unbedingte Forderung nach einer besseren, erfolgsver-sprechenderen Prävention in Bezug auf Strassenverkehrsunfälle, deren Ursache in Zusammenhang mit Alkoholkonsum steht.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Médecine B, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne

    Bertrand Yersin M.D., Danielle Wyss & Pierre Magnenat

  2. Institut Universitaire de Médecine Légale, Lausanne

    Laurent Rivier & Hans Ruedi Gujer

  3. Institut Universitaire de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Lausanne

    Véronique Koehn & Fred Paccaud

Authors
  1. Bertrand Yersin M.D.
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  2. Danielle Wyss
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  3. Véronique Koehn
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  4. Laurent Rivier
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  5. Hans Ruedi Gujer
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  6. Fred Paccaud
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  7. Pierre Magnenat
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Yersin, B., Wyss, D., Koehn, V. et al. Detrimental effect of alcohol intoxication on severity of injuries in male traffic accident victims: A cross-sectional study. Soz Präventivmed 37, 118–123 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01624621

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01624621

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