Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 35, Issue 3 , Pages 252-257, March 2000

Adolescent injury in the emergency department: Opportunity for alcohol interventions?☆☆☆

Presented in part at the Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Scientific Meeting, San Francisco, CA, July 1997; the 41st Annual Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, Orlando, FL, November 1997; and the 4th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 1998.

From the University of Michigan Injury Research Center, Department of Emergency Medicine,* University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute,‡ Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Medical Center,§ and Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center,∥ Ann Arbor, MI

Received 23 March 1999; received in revised form 27 July 1999; accepted 5 October 1999.

Abstract 

Study objective: Alcohol, the most commonly used substance among adolescents, is frequently associated with injury. Little is known regarding the drinking characteristics of injured adolescents. Such data are critical for developing emergency department interventions to decrease alcohol-related injury among adolescents. We sought to describe the drinking characteristics of injured adolescents and to describe the relationship of injury severity and mechanisms with drinking characteristics. Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study performed in a university hospital (sampled May 1, 1995, to July 15, 1995) and a large urban teaching hospital (sampled May 1, 1996, to August 1, 1996). The participants were aged 12 to 20 years, presenting within 6 hours of an injury. We performed a saliva alcohol test and self-administered questionnaire. Age, sex, E-code, injury severity score (ISS), and ED disposition were recorded. An alcohol frequency/quantity index was calculated. Descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: Two hundred sixty-three patients with a mean age of 17 years and a mean ISS of 2.1 (SD 3.5) were recruited. One hundred fifty-two (50%) were males, and 33 (13%) were admitted. Ten (4%) patients had a positive saliva alcohol test response. On average, within the last year, these adolescents had 1.7 adverse alcohol consequences. Sixty percent drank in unsupervised settings, and 36% reported drinking 5 or more drinks in a row. Conclusion: Alcohol use/misuse is a substantial problem among injured adolescents regardless of severity or mechanism of injury. ED physicians should consider screening/intervention or primary prevention of alcohol problems for all injured adolescents. [Maio RF, Shope JT, Blow FC, Copeland LA, Gregor MA, Brockmann LM, Weber JE, Metrou ME. Adolescent injury in the emergency department: opportunity for alcohol interventions? Ann Emerg Med . March 2000;35:252-257.]

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

☆ Supported by the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center and the Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center.

☆☆ Address for reprints: Ronald F. Maio, DO, MS, University of Michigan Medical Center, TC B1380/0305, 1500 E Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0305; 734-763-9849, fax 734-763-9298;E-mail ronmaio@umich.edu .

PII: S0196-0644(00)70076-X

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 35, Issue 3 , Pages 252-257, March 2000

Article Tools