Alcohol and risk of mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury.
BACKGROUND
Laboratory and clinical studies demonstrate inconsistent findings on the effect of alcohol on traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcome. The purpose of this study is to use a comprehensive trauma database to determine whether blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is associated with mortality in patients with TBI.


METHODS



METHODS
Cohort study.


METHODS
Eighteen trauma centers and 51 nontrauma centers in the United States.


METHODS
A total of 1,529 patients aged 18 years to 84 years of age admitted to hospital with TBI between July 2001 and November 2002.


METHODS
BAC assessed in the index hospital emergency department.


RESULTS
Mortality in-hospital, 90 and 365 days after injury.


RESULTS
After adjusting for confounding variables, there was no significant difference for in-hospital, 90-day, and 365-day mortality by BAC.


CONCLUSIONS
When fully adjusted for injury severity, alcohol intoxication is not associated with significantly lower mortality after TBI. The trend toward lower mortality at higher BACs prompts questions about the complex interaction of alcohol and TBI, and warrants further investigation of the possible protective effect of alcohol.
Shandro
Jamie R
JR
Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98104, USA. jshandro@u.washington.edu
Rivara
Frederick P
FP
Wang
Jin
J
Jurkovich
Gregory J
GJ
Nathens
Avery B
AB
MacKenzie
Ellen J
EJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D055815:Young Adult
D000431:Ethanol