A survey of blood-alcohol levels in self-poisoning cases

One-hundred and fifty eight cases of overdose were studied for alcohol use following their admission to an Accident and Emergency Department. Forty one percent of these patients had consumed alcohol and 29% had blood alcohol levels exceeding 17.4 mmol/l (80 mgm/100 ml). Higher blood-alcohol levels were associated with increasing age (40+). There was a tendency for higher blood-alcohol levels to be more associated with weekends, than weekdays, this association being stronger for males. More female overdoses were impaired on weekdays. Blood-alcohol levels of women arriving during "risk" time (2200-0659 hours) were significantly higher than those of women arriving at other times. These findings suggest that alcoholism assessment and treatment services need to be integrated with Accident and Emergency Services.