Pedestrian Injuries: The Association of Alcohol Consumption with the Type and Severity of Injuries and Outcomes

This article reports on a study undertaken to investigate the prevalence of positive alcohol screens and the effect of alcohol level on injury patterns, injury severity, and outcomes in pedestrians and bicyclists who have been involved in a collision with an automobile. The study population included all pedestrians and bicyclists older than 10 years, treated in any of the 13 trauma centers in the Los Angeles County Emergency Services System during the calendar year 2003, who were involved in a collision with an automobile and who had their blood alcohol level measured. The authors compared the three study groups (no alcohol, low alcohol, and high alcohol) with respect to demographics, injury patterns, injury severity, complications, and outcomes. The study included 1,042 patients who were categorized into three groups: 606 patients (58%) who had a negative alcohol screen, 84 (8%) who had low alcohol levels, and 352 (34%) who had high alcohol levels. Alcohol level was not notably associated with severity of injury, admission hypotension, length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), major complications, and injury pattern (head, chest, abdomen, or extremity Area Injury Score). Mortality was similar in the three alcohol level groups. However, the overall complication rate and hospital length of stay were markedly higher in the high alcohol level group than they were in the no alcohol level group. The authors conclude that these findings can be used for arguments in favor of injury prevention through alcohol intervention programs.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10727515
• Authors:
  • Plurad, David
  • Demetriades, Demetrios
  • Gruzinski, Ginger
  • Preston, Christy
  • Chan, Linda
  • Gaspard, Donald
  • Margulies, Daniel
  • Cryer, H Gill
• Publication Date: 2006-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 919-927
• Serial:
  • Journal of the American College of Surgeons
  • Volume: 202
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: American College of Surgeons
  • ISSN: 1072-7515
  • Serial URL: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-the-american-college-of-surgeons

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Adults; Alcohol effects; Crash injuries; Cyclists; Demographics; Injury severity; Pedestrian safety; Pedestrian vehicle crashes; Pedestrians
• Uncontrolled Terms: Hospitalization; Medical complications; Morbidity; Mortality
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01041260
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 30 2007 1:28PM