Ingestão alcoólica em vítimas de causas externas atendidas em um hospital geral universitário Ingestión alcohólica en víctimas de causas externas atendidas en un hospital general universitário Alcohol consumption among victims of external causes in a university general hospital

de Freitas, Efigênia Aparecida Maciel; Mendes, Ismênia Diniz; de Oliveira, Luiz Carlos Marques · 2008 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1590/S0034-89102008000500005

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study estimates the frequency of alcohol consumption among victims of external causes (injuries resulting from accidents or violence) treated at a university general hospital in Uberlândia, Brazil. Motivated by the significant public health burden of alcohol abuse and its association with trauma, the research aimed to quantify alcohol involvement in these cases and identify demographic and clinical patterns. The study was conducted between February and August 2004. It involved two groups of patients aged 18 and older: 85 patients evaluated in the emergency room and 301 patients hospitalized in surgery or traumatology wards. In the emergency room, blood alcohol content (BAC) was measured for all participants, with levels ≥0.1 g/L considered positive. In the wards, patients were interviewed regarding alcohol consumption within six hours prior to the trauma. Both groups completed the CAGE questionnaire to screen for alcohol dependence. Statistical analyses, including Fisher’s exact test, were used to compare frequencies across variables such as gender, socioeconomic status, and type of injury. Results indicated that 31.8% of emergency room patients had positive BAC, while 29.9% of hospitalized patients reported prior alcohol consumption. Patients with positive BAC were significantly more likely to require hospitalization (70.4%) compared to those with negative BAC (37.9%). Alcohol involvement was disproportionately higher among victims of physical aggression (57.1% positive BAC; 67.4% self-reported consumption) than among those involved in traffic accidents or falls. The majority of alcohol-involved victims were male (85.2% in ER; 80.4% in wards), had low educational attainment, and low income. Incidents occurred more frequently on weekends and during nighttime hours. Notably, 81.5% of ER patients with positive BAC and 82.2% of ward patients reporting alcohol use scored positive on the CAGE questionnaire, indicating chronic alcohol use or dependence rather than occasional drinking. The findings conclude that approximately one-third of victims of external causes had consumed alcohol prior to their injury, with a strong association between alcohol use and violent injuries. The high prevalence of positive CAGE scores suggests that many victims are chronic users or dependent on alcohol. The study highlights that alcohol-related trauma tends to be more severe, requiring higher rates of hospitalization, and is linked to specific demographic profiles, particularly young men with lower socioeconomic status. These results underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing alcohol abuse to reduce morbidity and mortality from external causes.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• incidence prevalence