Alcohol Related Trauma Patients.
- Author:
Sung Hyuk CHOI
;
Cheul Kyu MOON
;
Jun Dong MUN
;
Sung Woo LEE
;
Yun Sik HONG
- Publication Type:Original Article
- MeSH:
Diagnosis;
Emergency Service, Hospital;
Female;
Humans;
Incidence;
Korea;
Length of Stay;
Logistic Models;
Male;
Medical Records;
Retrospective Studies;
Scalp;
Schools, Medical;
Suicide
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
1999;10(2):266-275
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: We studied the incidence of trauma caused by alcohol related accidents, and the effects that has on the occurrence, the extent, and the outcome to the patient. METHODS: In our study we studied trauma patients excluding pediatric patients(15 years old and under) who came to the Emergency department of Korea University Medical School Anam Hospital from the 1st of january 1996 to 30th of June 1996, looked into their medical records, and studied the records in a retrospective manner. The trauma patients were divided into two groups, a) alcohol-related and b) alcohol-non-related. The two groups were then subdivided according to their sex, age, the time they came in, the anatomical part of the trauma, the mechanism of their injury, the extent of the injury, the length of their hospital stay, the length of their ED stay and were seperately compared and analysed. Statistically, ANOVA and logistic regression analysis using SAS were used in the study and then was assessed in Chi-square analysis methods. RESULTS: The total of the trauma patients, added up to 832 people, 577: male and 255: female. Among this sum, 16 trauma patients were alcohol related(male:127 & female 36). 115 people were in the age group of 21-40. Compared to the non-alcohol related trauma group, the alcohol-related group had more facial & scalp injuries and tended to come in the hours between 0-6 AM. The cause of the injuries were mossy by fast-fighting and suicide, compared to mostly accidental-slipping injuries in the non alcohol-related group. There were no difference in the degree of the injury(ISS) and the length of hospital stay between the two groups, whereas the length of the stay at the ED was longer alcohol-related trauma patients. CONCLUSION: Alcohol related trauma patients were mostly in their 20s and 30s, came to the hospital at a late time it the reason for their visit were mossy because of fist fighting. In the Emergency department, because prompt and correct diagnosis is quite difficult to make in this group, their ED stay tended to be longer. We can conclude that measuring the blood alcohol level of these patients, continuing the psychological therapy and educating people is needed.
