Weekday distribution of head traumas in patients admitted to the emergency department of a city hospital: Effects of age, gender and drinking pattern

Abstract

Aims: To define the alcohol-related risk for head traumas and to compare the weekly and monthly variations in alcohol consumption, and the occurrence of head traumas in a population with heavy episodic drinking as the prevailing drinking pattern. Methods: All consecutive admissions due to head trauma into a Finnish city hospital during 1 year (1999) were recorded. 832 consecutive patients with data on alcohol consumption were covered. We compared the number of final diagnoses of head traumas per day and month to the anticipated frequency in the absence of any weekly or monthly variation. Official statistics on alcohol consumption in Finland are presented as reference. Results: Alcohol-related head traumas were most common in young adults and people of working age. The occurrence of head traumas in sober subjects showed no temporal variations. By contrast, alcohol-related cases peaked on weekends and in the most popular vacation month (July). The alcohol-related risk from Friday to Sunday was 27.3% in women and 20.3% in men. The additional risk related to alcohol consumption in July was 16.1% in women and 5.3% in men. Conclusions: We found an excess of head traumas during weekends and the primary vacation month, and this excess was associated with heavy episodic drinking. Active measures are needed to prevent head traumas caused by this type of behaviour. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol.