Alcohol and injury among attendees at a New Zealand emergency department.

AIM

This study investigated the role of alcohol in injury cases among patients attending an emergency department in Auckland during December 2000.

METHODS

A random sample of patients was interviewed and breath tested in the emergency department. Interviewing took place continuously for a three-week period. Using a case-crossover design the causal role of alcohol was assessed. RESULTS Thirty five per cent of injured patients reported having consumed alcohol prior to sustaining their injury; this is a high proportion compared with overseas research. Males and the under 30 years age group were over-represented in both alcohol-related and non alcohol-related injury cases. The risk of sustaining an injury was 2.8 times greater when alcohol was consumed. The median amount of self-reported absolute alcohol consumed prior to alcohol-involved injury was 103 ml (equivalent to about seven cans of beer), with the lower quartile at 37 ml and upper quartile at 246 ml. For injury cases reporting consumption of alcohol prior to their injury event, there was a cumulative risk of 1.14 for each 30 ml of absolute alcohol (two cans of beer) consumed. There were no differences between the quantity of alcohol consumed by males and females or younger and older participants. Of those with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) readings obtained from breath samples, 51% had BAC reading equal or greater than 0.300 mcg. Violence was found to be the cause of 17% of the injury cases and alcohol was reported as involved (victim and/or perpetrator) in 79% of these cases. Injury involving violence occurred most often in a public place or on a licensed outlet.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study of alcohol involvement in injury presenting to an emergency department in New Zealand. Findings indicate that a relatively high proportion of injury cases requiring emergency department treatment were alcohol-related and that the risk of an injury occurring was significantly increased by consumption of alcohol.