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Evaluating the influence of alcohol intoxication on the pre-hospital identification of severe head injury: a multi-center, cohort study.
- Source :
- Brain Injury; 2023, Vol. 37 Issue 4, p308-316, 9p
- Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- To determine the influence of intoxication on the pre-hospital recognition of severely head-injured patients by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals and to investigate the relationship between suspected alcohol intoxication and severe head injury. This multi-center, retrospective, cohort study included trauma patients, aged ≥ 16 years, transported by an ambulance of the Regional Ambulance Facility Utrecht to any emergency department in the participating trauma regions. Between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017, 19,206 patients were included, of whom 1167 (6.0%) were suspected to have a severe head injury in the field, and 623 (3.2%) were diagnosed with such an injury at the hospital. These injuries were less frequently recognized in patients with a GCS ≥ 13 than in patients with a GCS < 13 (25.0% vs. 76.2%). Patients suspected to be intoxicated had a higher chance to suffer from severe head injury (OR 1.42, 95%-CI 1.22–1.65) and were recognized slightly more often (45.3% vs. 40.2%). Severe head injuries are difficult to recognize in the field, especially in patients without a decreased GCS. Suspicion of alcohol intoxication did not seem to influence pre-hospital injury recognition, as it possibly makes a severe head injury harder to recognize and simultaneously raises caution for a severe injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- RESEARCH
CONFIDENCE intervals
ALCOHOLIC intoxication
RETROSPECTIVE studies
PATIENTS
TRANSPORTATION of patients
SEVERITY of illness index
RISK assessment
EMERGENCY medical services
GLASGOW Coma Scale
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
RESEARCH funding
ODDS ratio
HEAD injuries
MEDICAL needs assessment
EMERGENCY medicine
LONGITUDINAL method
DISEASE risk factors
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 02699052
- Volume :
- 37
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Brain Injury
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 162536015
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2022.2158228