Alcohol and trauma. An endemic syndrome.

Injuries are a pervasive and costly problem, and alcohol use appears to be an important risk factor for injury. We examined the blood alcohol levels and selected demographic and epidemiologic variables recorded on trauma patients by 1 trauma center for a 28-month period. A total of 2,262 trauma patients were admitted to the trauma center during this period, of whom 75% were male and 72% were injured in vehicle-related incidents. Blood alcohol levels of 2,095 patients (93%) were measured, and alcohol was present in the blood of 855 (41%). Of those patients with a blood alcohol level done, 32% had a level higher than 100 mg per dl. We conclude that the level of alcohol involvement in trauma is high and that this involvement must be addressed by the medical community and the health care system.