A longitudinal study of former trauma center patients: The association between toxicology status and subsequent injury mortality

Background: Despite the current emphasis on injury prevention, little has b een done to incorporate alcohol intervention programs into the care of the injured patient. The purpose of this study was to determine whether patient s admitted to a trauma center with positive toxicology findings (TOX+) have a higher subsequent injury mortality than those without such findings (TOX -). Methods: We followed a cohort of 27,399 trauma patients discharged alive be tween 1983 and 1995 to determine subsequent mortality. Death certificates w ere obtained to identify the cause of death. Results: TOX+ patients had an injury mortality rate approximately twice tha t of the TOX- group (1.9 % vs. 1.0 %, p < 0.001). Overall, 22.7% of the dea ths were due to injury; the TOX+ rate was 34.7% versus 15.4% for the TOX-. Conclusion: These data add strength to the premise that untreated substance abuse-related injury remains an untapped injury prevention opportunity.