Sw. Wright et Cm. Slovis, DRINKING ON CAMPUS - UNDERGRADUATE INTOXICATION REQUIRING EMERGENCY CARE, Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 150(7), 1996, pp. 699-702
Objectives: To (1) determine the incidence of undergraduate students w
ith alcohol intoxication who presented to our emergency department (ED
), (2) examine the demographic correlates of the students, and (3) loo
k at associated injuries that were sustained by the students. Design:
Retrospective case series. Setting: A tertiary care medical center tha
t was located on the campus of a major university. Patients: Undergrad
uate students with alcohol intoxication who presented to the ED. Main
Outcome Measures: Demographic data and associated injuries of intoxica
ted students who presented to the ED during 2 academic years. Results:
Forty-four students presented with alcohol intoxication for a yearly
incidence of 3.9 per 1000 students. Freshmen were overrepresented comp
ared with students in other higher classes, with an incidence of 9.3 p
er 1000 per year (P<.001). Nine (20%) of the 44 students sustained an
injury from a fall, and 1 required mechanical ventilation for treatmen
t of apnea. Conclusions: Alcohol intoxication that requires emergency
care is not uncommon among college students, arid many students with a
lcohol intoxication present to the ED following a fall. Freshmen are p
articularly likely to present for care in an ED.