Objective: Although alcohol and suicide are closely related, very few studies have investigated low levels of alcohol ingestion. This study analyzes the relationship between blood alcohol levels and clinical and sociodemographic patterns of intoxicated patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study. Medical records of self-poisoning patients who visited the emergency department (ED) from March 2017 to June 2020 were investigated. Patients were divided into three groups according to the blood alcohol concentration (BAC): no alcohol group (NA; BAC<10 mg/dL), low alcohol group (LA: 10 mg/dL≤BAC<80 mg/dL), and high alcohol group (HA; BAC≥80 mg/dL). Ingested substances, sociodemographic factors, and clinical factors of the patient were examined. In addition, the poison severity score (PSS) and medical outcomes were also evaluated. Results: This study enrolled 291 intoxicated patients comprising 167 in the NA group, 30 in the LA group, and 94 in the HA group. Considering the age, the proportion of the elderly was sequentially found in the order LA > NA > HA. Subjects in the LA group tended to have a lower income than the NA group. The pulse rate was found to be faster in the HA group than in the NA group. Compared to the LA and NA groups, subjects in the HA group underwent more cycles of deaddiction. Admissions were lesser in the LA group compared to the NA and HA groups. Conclusion Considering that subjects in the HA group underwent more deaddiction than the other groups and had more admissions than the LA group, emergency medical personnel should be alert when an intoxicated patient is completely drunk.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. PURPOSE: To present radiographic outcomes following anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) utilizing a modular interbody device. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Though multiple anterior lumbar interbody techniques have proven successful in promoting bony fusion, postoperative subsidence remains a frequently reported phenomenon. METHODS: Forty-three consecutive patients underwent ALIF with (n=30) or without (n=11) supplemental instrumentation. Two patients underwent ALIF to treat failed posterior instrumented fusion. The primary outcome measure was presence of fusion as assessed by computed tomography. Secondary outcome measures were lordosis, intervertebral lordotic angle (ILA), disc height, subsidence, Bridwell fusion grade, technical complications and pain score. Interobserver reliability of radiographic outcome measures was calculated. RESULTS: Forty-three patients underwent ALIF of 73 motion segments. ILA and disc height increased over baseline, and this persisted through final follow-up (p<0.01). Solid anterior interbody fusion was present in 71 of 73 motion segments (97%). The amount of new bone formation in the interbody space increased over serial imaging. Subsidence >4 mm occurred in 12% of patients. There were eight surgical complications (19%): one major (reoperation for nonunion/progressive subsidence) and seven minor (five subsidence, two malposition). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a modular interbody device for ALIF resulted in a high rate of radiographic fusion and a low rate of subsidence. The large endplate and modular design of the device may contribute to a low rate of subsidence as well as maintenance of ILA and lordosis. Previously reported quantitative radiographic outcome measures were found to be more reliable than qualitative or categorical measures.
Animals ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lordosis ; Low Back Pain ; Osteogenesis ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Retrospective Studies