Alcohol consumption in emergency room patients and the general population:A population-based study

Our purpose was to obtain epidemiological measures of the association betwe en habitual alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption before the event and a lcohol abuse/dependence, and emergency room (ER) attendance compared to the general population in Pachuca-Hidalgo, a city located in the central area of Mexico. The study was a population based case-control design. Data consi sted of breath samples to estimated blood alcohol concentration, as well as an interviewer-administered questionnaire, collected on a 24-hr basis, dur ing the entire week, in each of the three main ERs of Pachuca. Cases were a ll patients who visited the three main hospitals ERs during the study perio d, classified according to their status as an injured or noninjured (medica lly ill) patient (n = 1511). The general population sample (n = 920) serves as a comparison group for both types of patients. Injured patients in the ER sample were significantly more likely to report high frequency/high quan tity of drinking during the last 12 months than the general population [odd s ratio and 95% confidence intervals = 5.55 (1.72-17.97)] and to report dri nking within 6 hr before the injury. These relationships did not hold for n oninjured patients. Both types of patients were more likely to report high frequency of drunkenness during the preceding 12 months, to be positive for alcohol dependence and to report drug use. We found in the city of Pachuca , a large relationship between habitual alcohol consumption and ER injuries . These findings support associations of alcohol consumption and admission to an emergency room found in ER and general population studies in other co untries. Due to the increases in the risk found for abuse/dependent in both injured and noninjured patients, they both would benefit with a brief inte rvention strategy for reducing their alcohol consumption.