Alcohol use associated with cervical spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether alcohol use at time of spinal cord injury (SCI) is more common with cervical injury than with lower levels of spinal injury.


METHODS
Veterans and nonveterans with SCI were assessed at a Veteran's Affairs Medical Center from 1994 through 2002 and completed a health questionnaire that included information on alcohol use at time of traumatic injury.


RESULTS
Of 362 men, 45% had neurologically complete or incomplete cervical injuries. Participants with cervical injury were more likely to have used alcohol when injured (62/162, 38%) compared with participants without cervical injury (45/200, 23%). Adjusting for age at injury and accident type, participants with cervical SCI had an increased relative odds of having used alcohol at injury compared with participants without cervical SCI (2.06, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-3.43).


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol use at time of SCI is a risk factor for cervical injury. This finding is of public health concern and should be included in alcohol educational programs.
Garrison
Anne
A
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section, Medical Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Clifford
Kara
K
Gleason
Stacy F
SF
Tun
Carlos G
CG
Brown
Robert
R
Garshick
Eric
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires