Resource utilization and outcomes of intoxicated drivers

Area of Science:

• Trauma research
• Alcohol-related injuries
• Clinical outcomes

Background:

• High-risk behaviors of intoxicated drivers, including impaired reaction time and lack of seatbelt use, raise concerns about injury severity and clinical outcomes.
• This study investigates whether pre-hospital alcohol consumption influences injury severity scores and patient outcomes in motor vehicle crash (MVC) drivers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare injury severity and clinical outcomes between intoxicated and non-intoxicated drivers involved in motor vehicle crashes.
• To describe resource utilization for treating intoxicated versus non-intoxicated drivers at a Level 1 trauma center.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective descriptive study analyzing data from January 2002 to June 2007.
• Compared drivers with blood alcohol levels (BAC) > 80 mg/dL (ETOH > 80) against those with BAC = 0 mg/dL (ETOH = 0).
• Excluded drivers with no BAC drawn or BAC levels between 1-80 mg/dL; collected data on demographics, injury severity, outcomes, and resource utilization.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in Injury Severity Score (ISS) or complications between groups.
• A trend towards decreased mortality was observed in the intoxicated group (p=0.06).
• Non-intoxicated drivers (ETOH=0) had longer ICU LOS, hospital LOS, and ventilator days (p<0.05); intoxicated drivers were more often self-pay and incurred lower hospital charges and costs.

Conclusions:

• Intoxicated drivers demonstrated a trend towards better outcomes, including reduced mortality and shorter hospital stays.
• Further multivariable analysis is recommended to ascertain if acute intoxication, intubation, or ICU admission, rather than injury severity, drives these observed outcome differences.