Conference Proceedings on Alcohol- and Drug-Related Injuries

Conference Proceedings on Alcohol- and Drug-Related Injuries

The Journal of Trauma—Injury Infection & Critical Care has just published a special issue of proceedings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conference, “Alcohol and Other Drug Problems among Hospitalized Trauma Patients: Controlling Complications, Mortality, and Trauma Recidivism.” Conference participants included trauma surgeons, advocates, substance-use treatment researchers, and government representatives.

Trauma surgeons, addiction counselors, psychologists, public health officials and others on the front lines of trauma care will find this special supplement essential for developing interventions to prevent injury caused by alcohol- and drug-related problems.

The Problem Alcohol misuse is now the leading risk factor for serious injury in the United States, and the third leading cause of preventable death. It accounts for more than 75,000 deaths annually. Little has been done to address the misuse of alcohol and drugs—a major causes of severe and repeat injuries among hospitalized trauma patients.

What Research Shows

• Admission to a trauma center or an emergency department provides a chance to identify patients who are drinking excessively or who have substance use problems.
• Hospitalization in a trauma center can open a window of opportunity for medical professionals to deliver interventions that save lives.
• Intervention trials that used brief counseling sessions for those with alcohol and drug problems have reportedly reduced recidivism by up to 50% and have significantly decreased the number of binge drinking episodes and drinks consumed per week. These interventions have also helped to lower healthcare costs.

The Journal Supplement

• Includes papers, detailed summaries of discussion sessions and recommendations to improve the identification and brief, onsite treatment of trauma center patients with alcohol and drug problems.
• Explains the need for intervention programs and presents the benefits and challenges of incorporating such programs into standard trauma center care.
• Represents the new collaborative relationship between the trauma-care and mental-health communities to prevent injuries related to alcohol and drugs.

View articles or download sections of the supplement.

To order a copy of the supplement, complete the publications order form.

E-mail questions and comments to ncipcdirinfo@cdc.gov,
and type “Trauma/Substance Use Proceedings” in the subject line of your message.


2003 conference co-sponsors:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Health Resources and Services Administration
Join Together
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration

Content Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Injury Response