title: Rates of at-risk drinking among patients presenting to the emergency department with occupational and nonoccupational injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the characteristics and rates of at-risk drinking among patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with occupational and nonoccupational injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey of injured patients presenting to a university hospital ED. Injured patients were prospectively identified, and consenting patients completed a survey including questions regarding quantity/frequency of alcohol use, TWEAK, CAGE, and work-relatedness of injury. Major trauma and motor-vehicle collisions were excluded. Demographic and injury information was obtained from the medical record. Patients with a TWEAK score > or =3, CAGE score > or =2, or who exceeded NIAAA quantity/frequency guidelines were defined as at-risk drinkers. Analysis utilized the Student t-test for continuous variables, and frequency and chi-square analysis for categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 3,476 enrolled patients, 766 (22%) had work injuries and 2,710 (78%) had nonwork injuries. Patients with work injuries were as likely as patients with nonwork injuries to be at-risk drinkers; 35% of patients with an occupational injury and 36% of those with a nonoccupational injury were at-risk drinkers (odds ratio = 0.96).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients presenting to the ED with an occupational injury have rates of at-risk drinking similar to other injury patients, and may be an important group in which to target brief alcohol interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0303, USA. samclean@umich.edu
authors.forename: Samuel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: Frederic C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Blow
authors.forename: Maureen A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gregor
authors.forename: Kristen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: Ronald F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Maio
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Knutzen
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries