THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL LEVEL ON ELDERLY PATIENTS PRESENTED TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WITH BLUNT TRAUMA

Objectives: Alcohol is a chemical substance that alters cognitive ability and judgment, which may influence outcome in elderly trauma patients. We elected to look at our elderly trauma patients that arrived to the Emergency Department (ED) following blunt trauma and evaluate the confounding factors that may influence outcome.

Methods: Following IRB approval, a retrospective analysis of trauma patients with blunt trauma seen in the ED with positive alcohol level was performed. Age,gender, co-morbid conditions, medications including Anticoagulant therapy, mortality,, hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and Injury Severity Score (ISS) we’re collected. Statistical and regression analysis were performed to identify the confounding factors that influence outcome.

Results: Records were collected on 451 patients with a mean age of 43 patients.there were 316 males (70%) and 135 females (30%). The average length of stay was 3 days, average GCS was 14, and average ISS was 7. Mean alcohol level was 176g/dL +_ 91.6. There were 43 patients aged 65 years and older with a significantly higher hospital and ICU stay ( 4.1 and 2.4 days respectively P=0.048 ) compared to the 64 years and younger age group (2.8 and 1.1 days respectively). There was no difference in alcohol level when divided into two groups ( 99 and less and 100 and more g/dL), however mortality and co-morbid conditions were higher in the elderly.

Conclusion: Elderly blunt trauma patients arriving to the ED with positive alcohol level had a higher mortality and length of stay than younger group , due to a higher numbers of co-morbidities, while alcohol seems to play an insignificant role.