ALCOHOLISM AT THE TIME OF INJURY AMONG TRAUMA CENTER PATIENTS - VEHICULAR CRASH VICTIMS COMPARED WITH OTHER PATIENTS

A structured in-depth interview employing standardized criteria was us ed to determine the prevalence of lifetime and current alcohol depende nce (alcoholism) in unselected consecutive patients admitted to a regi onal Level I trauma center. Of 629 patients, 157 (25.0%) were current alcoholics at the time of injury. An additional 87 (13.8%) were diagno sed as lifetime non-current alcoholics. There was no significant diffe rence in the rates of current alcohol dependence among patients injure d in vehicular crashes (23.5%), other unintentional trauma victims (29 .3%), and those injured as a result of violence (24.6%). Of BAC+ (bloo d alcohol concentration positive) patients, 54.5% were current alcohol ics. However, 14.4% of alcohol-negative patients were also diagnosed a s alcohol dependent. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.