Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T09:28:08.176Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An overview of injuries to adolescents and young adults related to substance use: data from Canadian emergency departments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

Sarah Lea ,
Karen Black  and
Mark Asbridge
Sarah Lea
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health and Department of Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Karen Black
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Mark Asbridge*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health and Department of Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
*
Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, 5790 University Ave., Halifax NS B3H 1V7; [email protected]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

Alcohol is a significant risk factor for injury, and is one of the leading causes of death, disability and premature mortality among young Canadians. This paper provides an overview of alcohol-related injury among adolescents and young adults presenting to Canadian emergency departments (EDs).

Methods:

We reviewed records from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program database during the 4-year period between 2000 and 2003. We included individuals younger than 25 years who presented to EDs in 11 pediatric and general hospitals with injuries for which alcohol, either alone or in conjunction with drugs, was recorded as a contributing factor. We examined key socio-demographic and injury-related factors associated with alcohol and drug-related injuries, including intent and disposition.

Results:

Alcohol was identified as a factor in 2389 injuries during this 4-year period; 408 (17%) of these cases also involved drug use. Approximately 55% of these patients were male and the majority was between 15 and 19 years of age. Unintentional injuries were the most common presentation, self-harm injuries were more common among female patients and violence-related injuries were more common among male patients. Most patients received treatment for their injuries. However, as age increased, outcome differences were observed between sexes.

Conclusion:

Alcohol-related injuries are increasing among Canadian youth. These findings highlight the importance of obtaining thorough drug and alcohol histories and measurement, when appropriate, for adolescents and young adults presenting to EDs with injuries.

Keywords

alcoholdrugsinjury and traumaemergency departmentyouth and young adults
Type
Original Research • Recherche originale
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , July 2009 , pp. 330 - 336
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2009

References

REFERENCES

1. Public Health Agency of Canada. Leading causes of death and hospitalization in Canada. 2004. Available: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/lcd-pcd97/table1-eng.php(accessed 2009 May 26).Google Scholar
2. Cherpitel, CJ. Alcohol and injuries: areview of international emergency room studies. Addiction 1993;88:923–37.Google Scholar
3. Cherpitel, CJ, Giesbrecht, N, Macdonald, S. Alcohol and injury: a comparison of emergency room populations in two Canadian provinces. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 1999;25:743–59.Google Scholar
4. CanadianPublic Health Association. Creating conditions for health. Ottawa (ON): The Association; 2001. Available: http://www.cpha.ca/en/programs/policy.aspx (accessed 2009 May 26).Google Scholar
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Conference proceedings on alcohol- and drug-related injuries. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/Spotlight/2003_Alcohol_Conference_Proceedings.htm (accessed 2009 Jun 1).Google Scholar
6. World Health Organization. World Report on child injury prevention. Geneva (CH): The Organization;2008. Available: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2008/9789241563574 eng.pdf (accessed 2009 Jun 1).Google Scholar
7. Elder, RW, Shults, R, Swahn, M, et al. Alcohol-related emergency department visits among people ages 13 to 25 years. J Stud Alcohol 2004;65:297–300.Google Scholar
8. Meropol, SB, Moscati, R, Lillis, K, et al. Alcohol-related injuries among adolescents in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med 1995;26:180–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Macdonald, S, Wells, S, Biesbrecht, N, et al. Demographic and substance use factors related toviolent and accidental injuries: results from an emergency room study. DrugAlcohol Depend 1999;55:53–61.Google Scholar
10. Charalambous, MP. Alcohol and the accident and emergency department: a current review. Alcohol 2002;37:307–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Institute of Alcohol Studies. Alcohol and health. Available:http://www.ias.org.uk/resources/factsheets/factsheets.html (accessed 2009 May 26).Google Scholar
12. Hingson, R, Howland, J. Alcohol as a risk factor for injury or death resulting from accidental falls: a review of the literature. J Stud Alcohol 1987;48:212–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Hingson, R, Howland, J. Alcohol and non-traffic unintended injuries. Addiction 1993;88(877–883):877–883. Google Scholar
14. Kurzthaler, I, Wambacher, M, Golser, K, et al. Alcohol and benzodiazepines in falls: an epidemiological view. Drug Alcohol Depend 2005;79:225–30.Google Scholar
15. Honkanen, R, Ertama, L, Kuosmanen, P, et al. The role of alcohol in accidental falls. J Stud Alcohol 1983;44:231–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16. Hufford, MR. Alcohol and suicidal behavior. Clin Psychol Rev 2001;21:797–811.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17. Macdonald, S, Cherpitel, C, Borges, G, et al. The criteria for causation of alcohol in violent injuries based on emergency room data from six countries. Addict Behav 2005;30:103–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Sher, L. Alcohol consumption and suicide. QJM 2006;99:57–61.Google Scholar
19. Cherpitel, CJ, Borges, G, Wilcox, H. Acute alcohol use and suicidal behavior: a review of the literature. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2004;28:18S–28S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20. Adcock, AG, Nagy, S, Simpson, J. Selected risk factors in adolescent suicide attempts. Adolescence 1991;26:817–28.Google ScholarPubMed
21. Hulse, GK, Robertson, S, Tait, R. Adolescent emergency department presentations with alcohol- or other drug-related problems in Perth, Western Australia. Addiction 2001;96:1059–67.Google Scholar
22. Hawton, K, Rodham, K, Evans, E, et al. Deliberate self harm in adolescents: self report survey in schools in England. BMJ 2002;325:1207–11.Google Scholar
23. Hawton, K, Fagg, J. Deliberate self-poisoning and self-injury in adolescents. a study of characteristics and trends in Oxford, 1976-89. Br J Psychiatry 1992;161:816–23.Google Scholar
24. Woolfenden, S, Dossetor, D, Williams, K. Children and adolescents with acute alcohol intoxication/self-poisoning presenting to the emergency department. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002;156:345–8.Google Scholar
25. Health Canada. Canadian Addiction Survey: A national survey of Canadians’ use of alcohol and other drugs. 2005. Available: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/pubs/adp-apd/cas-etc/youth-jeunes/chap1-eng.php (accessed 2009 May 26).Google Scholar
26. Loiselle, JM, Baker, M, Templeton, J, et al. Substance abuse in adolescent trauma. Ann Emerg Med 1993;22:1530–4.Google Scholar
27. Macarthur, C, Pless, IB. Evaluation of the quality of an injury surveillance system. Am J Epidemiol 1999;149:586–92.Google Scholar
28. Pless, IB, Magdalinos, H, Hagel, B. Risk-compensation behavior in children: Myth or reality? Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2006;160:610–4.Google Scholar
29. Roche, A, Watt, K, McClure, R, et al. Injury and alcohol: a hospital emergency department study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2001;20:155–66.Google Scholar
30. Kresnow, M, Powell, K, Webb, K, et al. Assigning time-linked exposure status to controls in unmatched case-control studies. alcohol use and nearly lethal suicide attempts. Stat Med 2001;20:1479–85.Google Scholar
31. Li, G, Penelope, M, Rothman, R, et al. Epidemiology of alcohol-related emergency department visits. Acad Emerg Med 1998;5:788–95.Google Scholar
32. Baskin-Sommers, A, Sommers, I. The co-occurrence of substance use and high-risk behaviors. J Adolesc Health 2006;38:609–11.Google Scholar
33. Cherpitel, C. Breath analysis and self-reports as measures of alcohol-related emergency room admissions. J Stud Alcohol 1989;50:155–61.Google Scholar
34. Del Boca, FK, Noll, J. Truth or consequences: the validity of self-report data in health services research on addiction. Addiction 2000;95:347–60.Google Scholar
35. Pickett, W, Brison, R, Mackenzie, S, et al. Youth injury data in the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program: Do they represent the Canadian experience? Inj Prev 2000;6:9–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36. SmartRisk. PARTY: prevent alcohol and risk related trauma in youth [home page]. Available: http://www.partyprogram.com/ (accessed 2009 May 26).Google Scholar