Alcohol and other drugs: an assessment of testing and clinical practices in U.S. trauma centers.
BACKGROUND
The American College of Surgeons' (ACS) Committee on Trauma recommends drug and alcohol screening as "essential" for level I and II or "desirable" for level III trauma centers.


METHODS
Trauma centers were surveyed concerning alcohol and other drug testing policies and clinical practices during fiscal year 1989.


RESULTS
Surveys were returned from 125 level I, 153 level II, and 38 other centers (n = 316; 47 states and the District of Columbia). Resources to measure blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) and perform urine drug screens were available in 99.4% and 96.8% of centers, respectively. In 63.7% of level I and level II and 47.4% of other centers, BACs were "routinely" obtained. The 63.7% testing rate for level I and level II centers was not significantly higher than a 55.2% rate for such centers documented in a survey conducted 5 years earlier. In 40.0% of level I and level II and 26.3% of other centers, drug screens were obtained routinely. The higher overall BAC testing policy compared with that for other drugs was significant (p < 0.001). Substance abuse counselors were employed at 59.3% of the trauma centers, a rate significantly higher than the 31.8% rate identified in a previous survey (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite available resources and repeated ACS recommendations, measurements of BACs and drug screens are routine in only 63.7% of level I and 40.0% of level II trauma centers.
Soderstrom
C A
CA
Department of Surgery, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201-1595.
Dailey
J T
JT
Kerns
T J
TJ
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D003625:Data Collection; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy / Q000652:urine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology