Influence of acute alcohol intoxication on the outcome of severe non-neurologic trauma.

The influence of acute alcohol intoxication on the outcome of severe non-neurologic trauma was investigated in a prospective study. Alcohol was found in the blood in 35 of the 69 patients, with mean level 136 +/- 13 mg/100 ml. The patients were admitted to hospital 29.5 +/- 2 min after the injury and had mean ISS 25 +/- 2. In the patients with alcohol in the blood, the blood pressure and PCO2 on arrival were lower than in the other patients. When the alcohol level exceeded 100 mg/100 ml, the blood pressure and PCO2 were lower than in the sober patients despite significantly shorter time between injury and admission to hospital. The hospital stay and mortality were similar in the alcohol and the control group. The greater hypovolemia in the patients with alcohol in the blood indicates that alcohol may be a negative factor for the traumatized patient if resuscitation is delayed, and it underlines the need for rapid and adequate fluid resuscitation of these patients.