title: Characteristics of 167 consecutive traffic accident victims with special reference to alcohol intoxication: a prospective emergency room study.
abstract: This prospective study examined the characteristics of 167 consecutive traffic accident victims admitted to the emergency room of a major Swiss hospital with particular attention to the presence of a detectable blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The majority of the study population were male (71%), 16-29 years of age (56%) and occupants of an automobile or motorcycle (70%). Most patients were injured during the daytime, with nighttime accidents increasing towards the end of the week. Seventy-five percent of the injured were drivers of the crash vehicle and the majority (56%) were involved in multi-vehicle accidents. Fifty-three percent of all injuries consisted of internal lesions and/or fractures with motorcyclists and pedestrians being the most severely injured. There was a 21% incidence of alcohol intoxication (BAC greater than = 0.8 g/kg); 97% of intoxicated patients were male, of which 38% were 16-29 years of age. There was a distinct age-related alcohol intoxication pattern among males, with an intoxication rate of 20% in the 16-29 age range and 40% in the 30-75 age range. Alcohol-related accidents occurred predominantly in the nighttime and towards the end of the week, and victims of single-vehicle crashes were more likely to be intoxicated (28%) than those injured in multi-vehicle crashes (17%). Moped drivers exhibited the highest rate of intoxication (45%) followed by pedestrians (42%). Our study confirms the high prevalence of acute alcohol intoxication among traffic accident victims in Switzerland, a fact which needs to be considered by the treating medical care providers for the early detection and referral of alcohol-related problems, and which should be limited by effective preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine B, Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois, Lausanne.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wyss
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rivier
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Gujer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paccaud
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magnenat
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yersin
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol