title: The relationship of blood alcohol concentration to impairment severity in spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and severity of neurological impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI; N = 119) with dates of injury between 1991 and 2000 who received their acute treatment at a midwestern Model SCI Care System and for whom information regarding BAC was available.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  severity of neurological impairment. Data were analyzed using chi2 tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant association was observed between impairment severity and BAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that alcohol consumption is associated with severity of SCI. A more rigorous study controlling for trauma attributes is necessary to confirm these results and appraise whether alcohol has a potentiating effect on impairment. If borne out, the study's findings may lead to alterations in emergency room procedures and to changes in public health and education efforts resulting from a reframing of the issue of safe consumption of alcohol.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Model Spinal Cord Injury Care System, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0419, USA. forchm@umich.edu
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forchheimer
authors.forename: Rebecca M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Gater
authors.forename: Ronald F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Maio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014218:Triage
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol