title: The Legal Limit: Differences in Injury Severity Score for Vehicular Crashes.
abstract: In 2013, the National Transportation Safety Board advised lawmakers in the United States to reduce the legal limit of blood alcohol content (BAC) from 0.08% to 0.05%. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the rationale for reducing the legal limit of BAC to 0.05% through analysis of the relationship between BAC and injury severity. A correlational study was conducted on patients with positive BAC involved in a motor vehicular collision. Retrospective review of 446 trauma patients (aged 18-80 years) injured in a vehicular collision routinely screened for BAC was conducted. Two groups were compared: Group 1, patients with nonzero blood alcohol concentration (n = 101); and Group 2, patients with zero blood alcohol (n = 345). Standard statistical analyses were utilized. A total of 101 patients (23%) had a detectable BAC on admission. Patients with a detectable BAC were younger (33 and 44 years) and more likely to be male (27% and 16%). There was no statistically significant association between both injury severity score (ISS) and BAC or between ISS and age. There was no significant correlation between higher BAC and a higher ISS. Positive BAC alone may not affect ISS, but the potential for risk-taking behaviors by drivers under the influence may increase injury severity.
authors.affiliation: Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, New York.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Aisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaudry
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Yelena
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000379:methods; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001334:Automobile Driving; D000067401:Blood Alcohol Content; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000067401:Blood Alcohol Content