Occurrence of severe and moderate traumatic brain injury in patients attended in a Brazilian Teaching Hospital: epidemiology and dosage of alcoholemy

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at observing aspects of epidemiology in order to investigate the use of alcohol in patients older than 18 with severe and moderate traumatic brain injury, which were attended in the Clinics Hospital of the University of Uberlândia. Positive alcoholemy was found in 39.3 percent of the patients. Of the 33 positive exams alcoholemy was found higher than 60 mg/dL in 28 (84.6 percent). There was not significant relation between alcoholemy levels and trauma severity. The major prevalence occurred on Saturdays nights. The most frequent types of external causes were transportation accidents (64.74) followed by accidental falls (17.27 percent) and physical aggression (16.55 percent). 93.9 percent of the patients with positive alcoholemy were men aged 20-29. 24.2 percent of the ones with positive alcoholemy died yet no significant difference was found in the study of the ones with negative alcoholemy (n=51) (p=0.93); RR= 0.9; IC95 percent=0.40-2.08.

RESUMO

Os objetivos deste estudo são investigar aspectos da epidemiologia e identificar o uso de álcool em pacientes com traumatismo craniencefálico grave e moderado em maiores de 18 anos atendidos no Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia. Encontrou-se alcoolemia positiva em 39,3 por cento dos pacientes. Nos 33 exames positivos, foram observadas alcoolemias superiores a 60 mg/dL em 28 (84,6 por cento). Não houve relação significativa entre os níveis de alcoolemia e a gravidade do trauma. Maior prevalência ocorreu aos sábados, no período noturno. Os tipos de causa externa mais frequentes foram os acidentes de transporte (64,74 por cento), seguidos de quedas acidentais (17,27 por cento) e de agressões (16,55 por cento). Dos pacientes com alcoolemia positiva, 93,9 por cento eram do sexo masculino, com maior prevalência dos 20 aos 29 anos. Dentre aqueles com alcoolemia positiva, 24,2 por cento vieram a falecer, não havendo diferença significante com os pacientes com alcoolemia negativa (n=51) (p=0,93); RR= 0,9; IC95 por cento=0,40-2,08.