Alcohol and injury among attendees at a busy inner city New Zealand emergency department

Abstract

Introduction: We present a study that provides a contemporary view of alcohol-related injury prevalence amongst patients presenting to a New Zealand (NZ) emergency department (ED). Methods: Adult injury patients presenting to Auckland City Hospital ED within 6 h of injury were invited to participate during three recruitment periods (2015–2016). An interviewer-administered questionnaire obtained information on demographic, injury, general health, and lifestyle factors. Breath alcohol samples were obtained. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: 501 patients participated (71% response rate), 21% had consumed alcohol within 6 h of their injury. The majority were male, and overall falls were the most common mechanism of injury among all patients. Alcohol-related injuries most commonly occurred at home, and were significantly more likely to occur during the weekend (Friday-Sunday) and night hours (23:00–06:59). After controlling for the effects of confounding; ‘poor’ general health, engaging in leisure activities at the time of injury, and injuries resulting from assaults were associated with increasing the odds of alcohol-related injury. Conclusions: Acute alcohol use continues to play a considerable role in ED injury presentations in NZ. Continued policy, health promotion, and injury prevention efforts are required to reduce the harms associated with alcohol use.