Alcohol use among spinal cord-injured patients

Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at greater risk than others for alcohol abuse because they face physical, psychological and vocational difficulties that include sensory impairment, pain, depression and reduced opportunities to participate actively in society. This study assesses the utility of using a brief screening interview questionnaire, the CAGE (cut, annoyed, guilty and eye opener), to further evaluate patients with SCI for alcohol use, including alcoholism using retrospective data. The study explores patterns of alcohol consumption among SCI patients and investigates the relationship between self-reported alcohol use, age, previous history of drug and alcohol abuse and medical complications after discharge. Results suggest that the CAGE is a valid measure to be used with SCI patients. Age did not correlate significantly with patient's CAGE scores. However, SCI subjects with higher mean CAGE scores also had a higher incidence of medical complications. CAGE scores were significantly correlated with previous history of alcohol and drug abuse and with the average weekly number of drinks reportedly consumed before injury.