title: Alcohol withdrawal syndrome in admitted trauma patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As alcohol use is highly prevalent in trauma patients, we hypothesized that a significant proportion of hospitalized trauma patients would demonstrate alcohol withdrawal (AW).
  
  
  METHODS
  The trauma registries at a joint trauma center system from 1999 to 2008 were evaluated for patients aged at least 16 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 19,369 trauma admissions, 159 patients had AW. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing was performed in 31.5% of the patients. BAC was significantly higher in AW patients versus other traumas (205.7 ± 130.1 vs 102.9 ± 121.7 mg/dL). BAC was 0 in 14.4% of AW patients. As compared with other trauma patients, patients with AW had a significantly greater age (50.2 vs 42.1 years), hospital length of stay (10 vs 3 days), intensive care unit length of stay (2 vs 0 days), need for mechanical ventilation (34% vs 12.7%), and pneumonia (12% vs 2.3%). AW patients were less frequently discharged to home (59.8% vs 69.9%). Mortality was not different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AW was diagnosed in few patients. Of note, it occurred in patients with an initial BAC of 0. AW is associated with adverse outcomes.
authors: Division of Trauma, Department of Surgery, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA. Electronic address: randeep.jawa@stonybrookmedicine.edu.
authors: Randeep S
authors: RS
authors: Jawa
authors: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: Joseph C
authors: JC
authors: Stothert
authors: Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: Valerie K
authors: VK
authors: Shostrom
authors: Trauma Program, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: Diane L
authors: DL
authors: Yetter
authors: Trauma Program, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: Heather R
authors: HR
authors: Templin
authors: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: Samuel K
authors: SK
authors: Cemaj
authors: Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: Lina
authors: L
authors: Lander
authors: Department of Surgery, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: Armour R
authors: AR
authors: Forse
authors: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors: David H
authors: DH
authors: Young
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Alcohol; Alcohol withdrawal; Trauma