Alcohol withdrawal syndrome in admitted trauma patients

BACKGROUND: As alcohol use is highly prevalent in trauma patients, we hypothesized that a significant proportion of hospitalized trauma patients would demonstrate alcohol withdrawal (AW). METHODS: The trauma registries at a joint trauma center system from 1999 to 2008 were evaluated for patients aged at least 16 years. RESULTS: Of 19,369 trauma admissions, 159 patients had AW. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing was performed in 31.5% of the patients. BAC was significantly higher in AW patients versus other traumas (205.7 +/- 130.1 vs 102.9 +/- 121.7 mg/dL). BAC was 0 in 14.4% of AW patients. As compared with other trauma patients, patients with AW had a significantly greater age (50.2 vs 42.1 years), hospital length of stay (10 vs 3 days), intensive care unit length of stay (2 vs 0 days), need for mechanical ventilation (34% vs 12.7%), and pneumonia (12% vs 2.3%). AW patients were less frequently discharged to home (59.8% vs 69.9%). Mortality was not different. CONCLUSIONS: AW was diagnosed in few patients. Of note, it occurred in patients with an initial BAC of 0. AW is associated with adverse outcomes. Published by Elsevier Inc.