NCJ Number
214059
Date Published
December 2005
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined the role of alcohol in injuries treated at an inner-city emergency department (St. Vincent's Hospital) in New South Wales (Australia) during September 2004 and February 2005, along with associated short-term economic costs.
Abstract
Of the 1,345 eligible injury cases treated during the 2 study periods, 61 percent (n=817) were interviewed about the nature of their injuries and their alcohol consumption in the 6 hours before the injury. Just over one-third (n=278) reported that they had drunk an alcoholic beverage within the 6 hours before their injury. Over one-half of these drinkers reported consuming the alcoholic beverage at a hotel or nightclub, and 41 percent reported having more than six standard drinks during these 6 hours. One-fifth of the injuries in which alcohol consumption was noted involved persons who had been drinking at a high level (more than four standard drinks for females or more than six standard drinks for males) or who had a blood alcohol content above 0.10 g/100 ml. A greater proportion of males incurred alcohol-related injuries, but a greater proportion of females incurred injuries that were not alcohol-related. Individuals 60 years old or older were more likely to incur injuries unrelated to alcohol consumption; younger people (less than 25 years old), on the other hand, were more likely to have alcohol-related injuries. Injuries that resulted from interpersonal violence were more likely to be alcohol-related. The estimated annual cost to the hospital's emergency department due to alcohol-related injuries was $1.38 million. This finding shows the amount of resources that could be used in treating other illnesses if a proportion of alcohol-related injuries were reduced. In addition to self-report data and researcher observations, objective evidence of alcohol consumptions was obtained from breath and blood tests. 7 tables, 12 notes, and 28 references