Acute effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency transportation due to acute alcoholic intoxication: a retrospective observational study.
10.1186/s12199-021-01020-5
- Author:
Marina MINAMI
1
;
Kazumoto KIDOKORO
2
;
Masamitsu EITOKU
1
;
Atsufumi KAWAUCHI
3
;
Masato MIYAUCHI
4
;
Narufumi SUGANUMA
1
;
Kingo NISHIYAMA
5
Author Information
1. Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
2. Medical Course, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
3. Department of Health Policy, Kochi Prefectural Government, Kochi, Kochi, 780-8570, Japan.
4. Department of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan. miyauchi@kochi-u.ac.jp.
5. Department of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan.
- Publication Type:Observational Study
- Keywords:
Acute alcoholic intoxication;
COVID-19;
Emergency transportation
- MeSH:
Alcoholic Intoxication/epidemiology*;
Ambulances;
COVID-19/epidemiology*;
Databases, Factual;
Emergency Medical Dispatch/trends*;
Female;
Humans;
Japan/epidemiology*;
Male;
Retrospective Studies;
Transportation of Patients/trends*
- From:Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
2021;26(1):98-98
- CountryJapan
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND:The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in people's drinking habits and the emergency management system for various diseases. However, no studies have investigated the pandemic's impact on emergency transportation for acute alcoholic intoxication. This study examines the effect of the pandemic on emergency transportation due to acute alcoholic intoxication in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, a region with high alcohol consumption.
METHODS:A retrospective observational study was conducted using data of 180,747 patients from the Kochi-Iryo-Net database, Kochi Prefecture's emergency medical and wide-area disaster information system. Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. The association between emergency transportation and alcoholic intoxication was examined. The differences between the number of transportations during the voluntary isolation period in Japan (March and April 2020) and the same period for 2016-2019 were measured.
RESULTS:In 2020, emergency transportations due to acute alcoholic intoxication declined by 0.2%, compared with previous years. Emergency transportation due to acute alcoholic intoxication decreased significantly between March and April 2020, compared with the same period in 2016-2019, even after adjusting for confounding factors (adjusted odds ratio 0.67; 95% confidence interval 0.47-0.96).
CONCLUSIONS:This study showed that lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the number of emergency transportations; in particular, those due to acute alcoholic intoxication decreased significantly.
