| An Analysis of the Drinking Pattern for Patients Who Visited the Emergency Room for Injuries |
| Sun Bong Jang, Hyuk Jung Choi, Seung Woo Kim, Tai Ho Im, Hyeong Joong Yi |
1Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. erthim@hanyang.ac.kr
2Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. |
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| ABSTRACT |
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this research was to analyze drinking on the day of injury, usual drinking pattern, factors associated with the injury and socioeconomic factors for patients who visited the emergency room (ER) for injuries.
METHODS:
From among all the trauma patients who visited ER, this research included 474 patients who were over 18 years of age and who visited the ER within 48 hours of their injury. Questionnaire surveys, telephone surveys, and serologic tests were conducted for all the patients.
RESULTS:
The drinking rate before injury was 51.9% among the 337 drinkers. The rate of drinkers was 72.2% (male 85%, female 42.6%), and the rate of habitual drinkers was 22.4% among the 466 subjects. The rates of habitual drinkers and nonhabitual drinkers were 31.5% and 68.5%, retrospectively, among the 337 drinkers. Such groups as assaulted patients, patients operated on under local anesthesia, patients injured indoor or outdoor except on roads, patients diagnosed as laceration, and patients injured between midnight and 8 a.m., and between 4p.m. and midnight had significantly higher incidents of drinking on the day of the injury (p=0.00~0.02). Such groups as males, older people, married people, people with low levels of education, people with high incomes and assaulted patients had significantly higher numbers of habitual drinkers (p= 0.00 ~ 0.04 ).
CONCLUSION:
This study suggests that alcohol use is an important factor for patients who visit the ER for injuries and alcohol drinking. But it can not be concluded that there is a causal relation between alcohol use and injury. Such groups who visit the ER for injuries as males, older people, married people, people with low levels of education, people with high incomes and assaulted patients need to be screened for alcohol misuse. |
| Key words:
Alcohol, Injury, Emergency room |
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