Does acute alcohol ingestion and/or chronic alcohol use among motor vehicle crash victims lead to a more complicated hospital course?

Given a certain severity of crash and of injury, it is unclear whether acute and/or chronic alcohol use leads to increased morbidity, mortality or a more complicated hospital course after motor vehicle collisions. 496 patients admitted to a trauma service were retrospectively evaluated to assess the effects of acute alcohol ingestion and chronic alcohol use on outcome. Results suggest that patients with acute or chronic alcohol abuse have increased needs for nursing services in the hospital. Alcohol use did not play a role in modifying other outcome measures.