[Presence of benzodiazepines in the serum of patients after accidents. Relation to alcoholism].

In a study of 2.021 injured persons (accidents at home or at work, road accidents), qualitative assays of serum benzodiazepines by the EMIT method were positive in 9.6 per cent of the cases, including 3.2 per cent who had blood alcohol levels in excess of 0.10 g/l. Benzodiazepines were more frequently found in accidents at home and on roads than in accidents at work. These results raise the question of the role played by benzodiazepines as a possible risk factor of accidents, notably road accidents.