MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURY SEVERITY, BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVELS, INSURANCE STATUS, AND HOSPITAL COSTS - A 4-YEAR STUDY IN ST-PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

Clinical, demographic, and financial information for 337 patients inju red in motorcycle accidents who were admitted to a community hospital over a 4-year period was reviewed for injury severity, prevalence and degree of alcohol intoxication, and effects of insurance status on hos pital, patient, and community costs. Ninety percent of the patients we re males (average age 31 years), and 52% had some form of insurance. O f those tested at the time of admission, 36% had blood alcohol levels of greater-than-or-equal-to 100 mg%. Uninsured patients had higher blo od alcohol levels (p = 0.0001), as did older patients (p = 0.01). Fort y percent of patients had injury severity scores of greater-than-or-eq ual-to 16. Uncompensated costs to the hospital of caring for the unins ured totalled >$850,000 over the 4 years. The need to enforce existing statutes and to increase awareness through education is discussed, an d statutory changes are recommended.