Characteristics of alcohol-related non-traffic accident trauma patients

Objective:
The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of alcohol-related non-traffic accident trauma patients.
Method:
A total of 2,582 non-traffic accident patients, above 16 years old, who visited the emergency department (ED) from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were categorized as alcohol group (A group) and no alcohol group (NA group) after checking their electronic medical records. Their general characteristics, the severity of their injury, and their ED length of stay were compared.
Results:
The A group included younger patients, a higher percentage of males, and a higher frequency of visits to the ED via the 119 ambulance route than the NA group. The A group had a higher proportion of patients being struck by a person or object in terms of the mechanism of injury, intentional violence, and head injuries, especially in the face as compared to the NA group. In terms of the severity of the injury, the Injury Severity Score was lower in the A group than in the NA group, and the ratio of bone fracture and/or cerebral hemorrhage was also lower. As per the survey, the A group tended to stay in the ED longer than the NA group.
Conclusion:
The characteristics of alcohol-related non-traffic accident trauma patients show that they have a relatively long stay in the ED, a high ratio of facial injury with low trauma severity, and need professional treatment facilities with specialized personnel and equipment.

Key words: Drunkenness; Injuries; Injury Severity Score; Length of stay