Alcohol use associated with cervical spinal cord injury

To determine whether alcohol use at time of spinal cord injury (SCI) is more common with cervical injury than with lower levels of spinal injury.

Veterans and nonveterans with SCI were assessed at a Veteran's Affairs Medical Center from 1994 through 2002 and completed a health questionnaire that included information on alcohol use at time of traumatic injury.

Of 362 men, 45% had neurologically complete or incomplete cervical injuries. Participants with cervical injury were more likely to have used alcohol when injured (62/162, 38%) compared with participants without cervical injury (45/200, 23%). Adjusting for age at injury and accident type, participants with cervical SCI had an increased relative odds of having used alcohol at injury compared with participants without cervical SCI (2.06, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-3.43).

Alcohol use at time of SCI is a risk factor for cervical injury. This finding is of public health concern and should be included in alcohol educational programs.