Rates of at-risk drinking among patients presenting to the emergency department with occupational and nonoccupational injury.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the characteristics and rates of at-risk drinking among patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with occupational and nonoccupational injury.

METHODS

Cross-sectional survey of injured patients presenting to a university hospital ED. Injured patients were prospectively identified, and consenting patients completed a survey including questions regarding quantity/frequency of alcohol use, TWEAK, CAGE, and work-relatedness of injury. Major trauma and motor-vehicle collisions were excluded. Demographic and injury information was obtained from the medical record. Patients with a TWEAK score > or =3, CAGE score > or =2, or who exceeded NIAAA quantity/frequency guidelines were defined as at-risk drinkers. Analysis utilized the Student t-test for continuous variables, and frequency and chi-square analysis for categorical variables.

RESULTS

Among 3,476 enrolled patients, 766 (22%) had work injuries and 2,710 (78%) had nonwork injuries. Patients with work injuries were as likely as patients with nonwork injuries to be at-risk drinkers; 35% of patients with an occupational injury and 36% of those with a nonoccupational injury were at-risk drinkers (odds ratio = 0.96).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients presenting to the ED with an occupational injury have rates of at-risk drinking similar to other injury patients, and may be an important group in which to target brief alcohol interventions.