ALCOHOL LEVEL AT HEAD-INJURY AND SUBSEQUENT PSYCHOTROPIC TREATMENT DURING TRAUMA CRITICAL CARE

Alcohol intoxication at the time of traumatic brain injury (TBI) prese nts many complications for critical care treatment. This is the first reported data on psychotropic dosages administered to TBI patients in the critical care setting. In this study, the blood alcohol level (BAL )-positive patients (n = 14) tended to be older (P = 0.095), have lowe r admission Glascow Coma Scores (P = 0.031), and spent more days on re spirators (P = 0.125) than the BAL-zero patients (n = 21). The BAL-pos itive group received more days of narcotics and benzodiazepines with m arkedly higher average daily doses, not statistically significant. The se results are a basis for studying relationships between medication, treatment variables, and outcomes for TBI patients and then developing specific medication guidelines.