Freqüência de uso de bebidas alcoólicas em vítimas de causas externas atendidas no Hospital de clínicas da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia

Abstract

Objective: To verify the frequency of alcoholic ingestion in victims of external causes at the Hospital of Clinics from Uberlândia. Methods: Blood alcohol content was determined in 85 patients of emergency room (ER). A total of 301 in-patients were interviewed on alcoholic ingestion prior to incidents. All ER and in-patients were submitted to the CAGE questionnaire. Also, 50 alcoholic patients and 50 no alcoholics attended at ambulatory level were interviewed on trauma antecedents. Results: Blood alcohol content was positive in 31.8% ER patients (85.2% were men and 70.4% required internment; p<0.05) and it was more frequent (p<0.05) in physical aggression (57.2%) than fall (15.4%) victims, but not compared to traffic victims (29.3%). Among in-patients, 29.9% had positive history of alcoholic ingestion and physical aggressions (68.9%) were more frequent (p<0.01) than traffic accidents (27.4%) or falls (15.2%). Among ER patients with positive blood alcohol content and drinker in-patients, the occurrence of incidents was higher (p<0.05) in the weekend (62.9% and 57,8%, respectively) and the night period (59.2% and 63.4%, respectively), with positive CAGE in 81.5% ER patients and 82.3% in-patients. At ambulatory level, 93.1% alcoholic patients reported trauma antecedents related to alcoholic ingestion compared to 9.1% no alcoholics (p<0.01). Conclusions: A third of patient s ingested alcoholic drinks prior to incidents, and among them, the most were chronic alcoholics. Incidents were more frequent in the weekends and the night period, with lesions more severe. Among the ambulatory patients, the alcoholics were the most frequently injured.