Is Blood Alcohol Level a Good Predictor for Injury Severity Outcomes in Motor Vehicle Crash Victims?

Experimental studies in animals suggest that alcohol may influence pathophysiologic response to injury mechanisms. However, biological evidence for the alcohol-injury severity relationship provides conflicting results. The purpose of our retrospective cross-sectional study in 2,323 people was to as...

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Main Authors: Bikaramjit Mann, Ediriweera Desapriya, Takeo Fujiwara, Ian Pike
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Emergency Medicine International
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/616323
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author Bikaramjit Mann
Ediriweera Desapriya
Takeo Fujiwara
Ian Pike
author_facet Bikaramjit Mann
Ediriweera Desapriya
Takeo Fujiwara
Ian Pike
author_sort Bikaramjit Mann
collection DOAJ
description Experimental studies in animals suggest that alcohol may influence pathophysiologic response to injury mechanisms. However, biological evidence for the alcohol-injury severity relationship provides conflicting results. The purpose of our retrospective cross-sectional study in 2,323 people was to assess whether blood alcohol level (BAC) adversely influences injury severity in victims of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). We found no difference in mortality OR 1.09 (0.73–1.62), or length of hospital stay, and a trend for lower ISS score was found in the high-alcohol group (P=0.052). Furthermore, the high-alcohol group demonstrated a lower adjusted rate of severe head injury OR 0.65 (0.48–0.87), chest injury OR 0.58 (0.42–0.80), and serious extremity injury OR 0.10 (0.01–0.76). The findings of our study do not demonstrate a dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and injury severity in MVCs. This study implies that higher BAC may lead to less severe injuries, without impacting mortality or length of hospital stay, however, further research is required to elucidate the nature of this relationship.
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spelling doaj-art-55e76677c6dd4db1a743ea7aa233a59a2025-08-20T02:04:55ZengWileyEmergency Medicine International2090-28402090-28592011-01-01201110.1155/2011/616323616323Is Blood Alcohol Level a Good Predictor for Injury Severity Outcomes in Motor Vehicle Crash Victims?Bikaramjit Mann0Ediriweera Desapriya1Takeo Fujiwara2Ian Pike3Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, 1403-29 Street NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 2T9, CanadaBC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3V4, CanadaBC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3V4, CanadaBC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, L408-4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3V4, CanadaExperimental studies in animals suggest that alcohol may influence pathophysiologic response to injury mechanisms. However, biological evidence for the alcohol-injury severity relationship provides conflicting results. The purpose of our retrospective cross-sectional study in 2,323 people was to assess whether blood alcohol level (BAC) adversely influences injury severity in victims of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). We found no difference in mortality OR 1.09 (0.73–1.62), or length of hospital stay, and a trend for lower ISS score was found in the high-alcohol group (P=0.052). Furthermore, the high-alcohol group demonstrated a lower adjusted rate of severe head injury OR 0.65 (0.48–0.87), chest injury OR 0.58 (0.42–0.80), and serious extremity injury OR 0.10 (0.01–0.76). The findings of our study do not demonstrate a dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and injury severity in MVCs. This study implies that higher BAC may lead to less severe injuries, without impacting mortality or length of hospital stay, however, further research is required to elucidate the nature of this relationship.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/616323
spellingShingle Bikaramjit Mann
Ediriweera Desapriya
Takeo Fujiwara
Ian Pike
Is Blood Alcohol Level a Good Predictor for Injury Severity Outcomes in Motor Vehicle Crash Victims?
Emergency Medicine International
title Is Blood Alcohol Level a Good Predictor for Injury Severity Outcomes in Motor Vehicle Crash Victims?
title_full Is Blood Alcohol Level a Good Predictor for Injury Severity Outcomes in Motor Vehicle Crash Victims?
title_fullStr Is Blood Alcohol Level a Good Predictor for Injury Severity Outcomes in Motor Vehicle Crash Victims?
title_full_unstemmed Is Blood Alcohol Level a Good Predictor for Injury Severity Outcomes in Motor Vehicle Crash Victims?
title_short Is Blood Alcohol Level a Good Predictor for Injury Severity Outcomes in Motor Vehicle Crash Victims?
title_sort is blood alcohol level a good predictor for injury severity outcomes in motor vehicle crash victims
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/616323
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