Alcohol withdrawal syndrome in trauma patients: a study using the Trauma Quality Program Participant User File.

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Critical Care Medicine
• Addiction Psychiatry

Background:

• Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a significant concern in hospitalized patients.
• Identifying AWS risk factors in trauma populations is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and predictors of AWS in adult trauma patients.
• To analyze the association between patient characteristics and AWS development post-trauma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of adult trauma patients from the 2017-2018 American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Program Participant User File (PUF).
• Evaluation of AWS rates and identification of associated risk factors using multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

• The overall incidence of AWS was 0.7%, increasing with longer hospital stays.
• Strong predictors for AWS included a history of alcohol use disorder (AUD), cirrhosis, positive toxicology screens (alcohol, barbiturates), and severe head injury (AIS head ≥3).
• Despite identified predictors, AWS remained uncommon, with low incidence even among patients with a history of AUD or positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on admission.

Conclusions:

• Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is an infrequent complication in adult trauma patients within the analyzed dataset.
• While certain factors increase risk, the overall incidence suggests that AWS is not a highly prevalent issue in this population.