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ARTICLE |

Alcohol's Effect on Trauma Outcomes: Title and subTitle BreakA Reappraisal of Conventional Wisdom FREE

Carl A. Soderstrom, MD; Gordon S. Smith, MD, MPH
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, 22 S Greene St, Baltimore, MD 21201-1595 (Dr Soderstrom).


JAMA. 1993;270(1):93-94. doi:10.1001/jama.1993.03510010099038
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"God protects small children and drunks." Based on anecdotal experiences, many trauma care clinicians agree with that thought by an unknown author. The child who rolls out of the upper bunk bed and is not hurt (even remains sleeping!) and the drunk driver who walks away from the severe wreck are thought to have been protected from injury because of the common factor of being relaxed and loose.

In this issue, the study by Jurkovich and colleagues1 of alcohol's effect on trauma outcomes seems to confirm the old adage. Using sound methods of investigation, they conclude that, for injuries of similar severity, acute alcoholic intoxication is not associated with increased mortality at the scene of injury, during the acute phase of hospital care, or more than 24 hours after admission, nor is it associated with an increase in morbidity as measured by in-hospital complication rates.

See also p 51.

REFERENCES

Jurkovich GJ, Rivara FP, Gurney JG, et al.  The effect of acute alcohol intoxication and chronic alcohol abuse on outcome from trauma. JAMA . 1993;;270: 51-56.
Dischinger PC, Soderstrom CA, Shanker BS, et al.  The relationship between the use of alcohol and place of death in vehicular fatalities. Proc Annu Meet Am Assoc Auto Med . 1988;;32:299-311.
Waller JA.  Methodologic issues in hospital-based injury research. J Trauma . 1988;;28:1632-1636.
Waller PF, Stewart JR, Hansen AR, et al.  The potentiating effects of alcohol on driver injury. JAMA . 1986;;256:1461-1466.
Jurkovich GJ, Rivara FP, Gurney JG, et al.  Effects of alcohol intoxication on the initial assessment of trauma patients. Ann Emerg Med . 1992;;21:704-708.
Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association.  Alcohol and the driver. JAMA . 1986;;255:522-527.
Perneger T, Smith GS.  The driver's role in fatal two-car crashes: a paired `case control' study. Am J Epidemiol . 1991;;134:1138-1145.
Soderstrom CA, Dischinger PC, Smith G, et al.  Psychoactive substance dependence among trauma center patients. JAMA . 1992;;267:2756-2759.
Soderstrom CA, Dailey J, Kerns T.  Alcohol and other drugs: an assessment of testing and clinical practices in US trauma centers. J Trauma . In press.

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Jurkovich GJ, Rivara FP, Gurney JG, et al.  The effect of acute alcohol intoxication and chronic alcohol abuse on outcome from trauma. JAMA . 1993;;270: 51-56.
Dischinger PC, Soderstrom CA, Shanker BS, et al.  The relationship between the use of alcohol and place of death in vehicular fatalities. Proc Annu Meet Am Assoc Auto Med . 1988;;32:299-311.
Waller JA.  Methodologic issues in hospital-based injury research. J Trauma . 1988;;28:1632-1636.
Waller PF, Stewart JR, Hansen AR, et al.  The potentiating effects of alcohol on driver injury. JAMA . 1986;;256:1461-1466.
Jurkovich GJ, Rivara FP, Gurney JG, et al.  Effects of alcohol intoxication on the initial assessment of trauma patients. Ann Emerg Med . 1992;;21:704-708.
Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association.  Alcohol and the driver. JAMA . 1986;;255:522-527.
Perneger T, Smith GS.  The driver's role in fatal two-car crashes: a paired `case control' study. Am J Epidemiol . 1991;;134:1138-1145.
Soderstrom CA, Dischinger PC, Smith G, et al.  Psychoactive substance dependence among trauma center patients. JAMA . 1992;;267:2756-2759.
Soderstrom CA, Dailey J, Kerns T.  Alcohol and other drugs: an assessment of testing and clinical practices in US trauma centers. J Trauma . In press.
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