Intoxicated motor vehicle passengers - An overlooked at-risk population

Hypotheses: Intoxicated motor vehicle passengers are similar to intoxicated drivers in recurrent health care encounters and risk of death for 5 years after injury. Intoxicated passengers have a greater risk of death than popu lation controls. Design: Historical cohort study. Setting: University-based level I trauma center. Participants: Motor Vehicle crash victims admitted to a level I trauma cent er in 1993. Main Outcome Measures: Recurrent hospitalization, emergency department visi ts, survival analysis, and standardized mortality ratios for 5 years follow ing injury. Results: More than one quarter of intoxicated passengers and drivers had re current hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Intoxicated occup ants were more likely to return to the hospital and the emergency departmen t than nonintoxicated controls (odds ratios, 2.0 and 2.7, respectively). In toxicated passengers were at increased risk of dying compared with nonintox icated occupants (P = .008) and with the general population (standardized m ortality ratio = 5.8). Intoxicated occupants were more likely to die an alc ohol-related death (P < .001). Conclusions: Intoxicated passengers injured in a motor vehicle crash are si milar to intoxicated drivers in recurrent hospitalizations and emergency de partment visits. Intoxicated passengers have an increased mortality rate in the 5 years following injury.