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Abstract
Objective: To investigate the relationship between blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and severity of neurological impairment.
Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.
Participants: Subjects with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI; N = 119) with dates of injury between 1991 and 2000 who received their acute treatment at a midwestern Model SCI Care System and for whominformation regarding BAC was available.
Analysis: Main outcome measure: severity of neurological impairment. Data were analyzed using x2 testsand analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Results: A significant association was observed between impairment severity and BAC.
Conclusions: The study suggests that alcohol consumption is associated with severity of SCI. A morerigorous study controlling for trauma attributes is necessary to confirm these results and appraise whetheralcohol has a potentiating effect on impairment. If borne out, the study's findings may lead to alterations inemergency room procedures and to changes in public health and education efforts resulting froma reframing of the issue of safe consumption of alcohol.