Blood Alcohol Concentration and Traumatic Brain Damage

ABSTRACT

Alcohol intoxication is often a contributory factor to the accidental head injury and may greatly aggravate the situation due to respiratory depression, cerebral edema and alteration in clotting mechanisms. Blood alcohol level was measured in 1261 patients with head injury attending the emergency room of Chung-Ang university hospital during one year from July, 1988. Blood alcohol concentration over 0.5g/L was defined as positive. The results are as followed 1) Among 1261 patients of head injury, 89 patients showed positive blood alcohol level(7.05%). The mean blood alcohol concentration was 1.673g/L. 2) The male to female ration was 8.9 1 and majority of patients were 3rd and 4th decade. 76.6 percent of blood alcohol positive patients were attended between 8pm and 4am. 3) The common mechanisms of injury in blood alcohol positive group were pedestrian road traffic accidents(27.1%), fall down(24.7%) and home accidents(14.6%). 4) The level of consciousness on admission was significantly worse in the blood alcohol positive group than in the control group(P<0.01). 5) The common associated injuries were mostly in the extremities(22.5%) and chest(6.7%), but there was no significant difference in both group. 6) The prognosis was worse in the blood alcohol postive group than in the control group(P<0.01).