Background: COVID-19 related stay-at-home (SAH) orders created many economic and social stressors, possibly increasing the risk of drug/alcohol abuse in the community and trauma population. Objectives: Describe changes in alcohol/drug use in traumatically injured patients after SAH orders in California and evaluate demographic or injury pattern changes in alcohol or drug-positive patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 11 trauma centers in Southern California (1/1/2020-6/30/2020) was performed. Blood alcohol concentration, urine toxicology results, demographics, and injury characteristics were collected. Patients were grouped based on injury date - before SAH (PRE-SAH), immediately after SAH (POST-SAH), and a historical comparison (3/19/2019-6/30/2019) (CONTROL) - and compared in separate analyses. Groups were compared using chi-square tests for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney U tests for continuous variables. Results: 20,448 trauma patients (13,634 male, 6,814 female) were identified across three time-periods. The POST-SAH group had higher rates of any drug (26.2% vs. 21.6% and 24.7%, OR = 1.26 and 1.08, p < .001 and p = .035), amphetamine (10.4% vs. 7.5% and 9.3%, OR = 1.43 and 1.14, p < .001 and p = .023), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (13.8% vs. 11.0% and 11.4%, OR = 1.30 and 1.25, p < .001 and p < .001), and 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) (0.8% vs. 0.4% and 0.2%, OR = 2.02 and 4.97, p = .003 and p < .001) positivity compared to PRE-SAH and CONTROL groups. Alcohol concentration and positivity were similar between groups (p > .05). Conclusion: This Southern California multicenter study demonstrated increased amphetamine, MDMA, and THC positivity in trauma patients after SAH, but no difference in alcohol positivity or blood concentration. Drug prevention strategies should continue to be adapted within and outside of hospitals during a pandemic.
Background: COVID-19 related stay-at-home (SAH) orders created many economic and social stressors, possibly increasing the risk of drug/alcohol abuse in the community and trauma population. Objectives: Describe changes in alcohol/drug use in traumatically injured patients after SAH orders in California and evaluate demographic or injury pattern changes in alcohol or drug-positive patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 11 trauma centers in Southern California (1/1/2020-6/30/2020) was performed. Blood alcohol concentration, urine toxicology results, demographics, and injury characteristics were collected. Patients were grouped based on injury date - before SAH (PRE-SAH), immediately after SAH (POST-SAH), and a historical comparison (3/19/2019-6/30/2019) (CONTROL) - and compared in separate analyses. Groups were compared using chi-square tests for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney U tests for continuous variables. Results: 20,448 traumapatients (13,634 male, 6,814 female) were identified across three time-periods. The POST-SAH group had higher rates of any drug (26.2% vs. 21.6% and 24.7%, OR = 1.26 and 1.08, p < .001 and p = .035), amphetamine (10.4% vs. 7.5% and 9.3%, OR = 1.43 and 1.14, p < .001 and p = .023), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (13.8% vs. 11.0% and 11.4%, OR = 1.30 and 1.25, p < .001 and p < .001), and 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) (0.8% vs. 0.4% and 0.2%, OR = 2.02 and 4.97, p = .003 and p < .001) positivity compared to PRE-SAH and CONTROL groups. Alcohol concentration and positivity were similar between groups (p > .05). Conclusion: This Southern California multicenter study demonstrated increased amphetamine, MDMA, and THC positivity in traumapatients after SAH, but no difference in alcohol positivity or blood concentration. Drug prevention strategies should continue to be adapted within and outside of hospitals during a pandemic.
Authors: Perisa Ruhi-Williams; Eric O Yeates; Areg Grigorian; Morgan Schellenberg; Natthida Owattanapanich; Galinos Barmparas; Daniel Margulies; Catherine Juillard; Kent Garber; Henry Cryer; Areti Tillou; Sigrid Burruss; Liz Penaloza-Villalobos; Ann Lin; Ryan Arthur Figueras; Raul Coimbra; Megan Brenner; Todd Costantini; Jarrett Santorelli; Terry Curry; Diane Wintz; Walter L Biffl; Kathryn B Schaffer; Thomas K Duncan; Casey Barbaro; Graal Diaz; Arianne Johnson; Justine Chinn; Ariana Naaseh; Amanda Leung; Christina Grabar; Jeffry Nahmias Journal: Am Surg Date: 2022-05-18 Impact factor: 1.002
Authors: Eric O Yeates; Areg Grigorian; Morgan Schellenberg; Natthida Owattanapanich; Galinos Barmparas; Daniel Margulies; Catherine Juillard; Kent Garber; Henry Cryer; Areti Tillou; Sigrid Burruss; Liz Penaloza-Villalobos; Ann Lin; Ryan Arthur Figueras; Raul Coimbra; Megan Brenner; Todd Costantini; Jarrett Santorelli; Terry Curry; Diane Wintz; Walter L Biffl; Kathryn B Schaffer; Thomas K Duncan; Casey Barbaro; Graal Diaz; Arianne Johnson; Justine Chinn; Ariana Naaseh; Amanda Leung; Christina Grabar; Jeffry Nahmias Journal: Pediatr Surg Int Date: 2021-12-01 Impact factor: 1.827
Authors: Anh Truc Vo; Thomas Patton; Amy Peacock; Sarah Larney; Annick Borquez Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-07-21 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Kathleen M O'Neill; James Dodington; Marcie Gawel; Kevin Borrup; David S Shapiro; Jonathan Gates; Shea Gregg; Robert D Becher Journal: Am J Surg Date: 2022-10-07 Impact factor: 3.125