Alcohol is not associated with increased mortality in adolescent traumatic brain injury patients
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Read the article on link.springer.com ↗Article · Dec 2021 · 1 min read
In brief
In brief
Retrospective analysis of 2,553 adolescent TBI patients found no association between positive alcohol screening and mortality risk. Despite 8.6% testing positive for alcohol, mortality rates were comparable between alcohol-positive and alcohol-negative groups after controlling for injury severity and other risk factors.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Abstract
Purpose
Compared to adults, there is a paucity of data regarding the association of a positive alcohol screen (PAS) and outcomes in adolescent patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). We hypothesize adolescent TBI patients with a PAS on admission to have increased mortality compared to patients with a negative alcohol screen.
Methods
The 2017 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients aged 13–17 years presenting with a TBI and serum alcohol screen. Patients with missing information regarding midline shift on imaging and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score were excluded. A multivariable logistic regression analysis for mortality was performed.
Results
From 2553 adolescent TBI patients with an alcohol screen, 220 (8.6%) had a PAS. Median injury severity scores and rates of penetrating trauma (all p > 0.05) were similar between alcohol positive and negative patients. Patients with a PAS had a similar mortality rate (13.2% vs. 12.1%, p = 0.64) compared to patients with a negative screen. Multivariate logistic regression controlling for risk factors associated with mortality revealed a PAS to confer a similar risk of mortality compared to alcohol negative patients (p = 0.40).
Conclusion
Adolescent TBI patients with a PAS had similar associated risk of mortality compared to patients with a negative alcohol screen.