Blood alcohol concentrations of motor vehicle accident victims at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital Casualty Department, December 1984: a preliminary report - abstract

ABSTRACT

Hospital admission figures, cirrhosis death rates, per capita alcohol consumption rates and other indices have for many years indicated a high prevalence of alcoholism in Trinidad and Tobago. A six-month survey of the Medical wards, Port-of-SPain General Hospital by Prasad in 1979 showed that 47 percent of male admissions and 5 percent of female admissions were alcohol-related. Beaubrun (1978)) demonstrated a close inverse relationship (r = -0.978) between total motor vehicle and the real price of rum, i.e. the price relative to average personal income. Trinidad and Tobago has one of the highest per capita motor vehicle accident rates anywhere, even higher than the United States and very much higher than Europe. It is well established that alcohol is the single most important factor yet identified in traffic accidents wherever this has been studied. Nevertheless, there has been some reluctance to enact B.A.C. laws and to introduce the Breathalyser and other controls until more specific local research has been done to establish clearly the relationship between alcohol and such accidents. For these reasons a survey was carried out in December 1984 to determine the blood alcohol concentrations of all persons seen at the Casualty Department of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital as a result of traffic accidents. PROCEDURE A pilot study was carried out first to refine the schedule for use in the study and to test its feasibility. A one-month survey was then carried out. Blood specimens were taken of all victims and a schedule filled out. Venous blood specimens were taken in Fluoride Oxalate and analyzed by a staff member of the Department of Pathology. Thirty-eight (38) accident victims were seen. More than 68 percent had blood alcohol concentrations higher than 0.05 percent (50mg. per 100 ml) and 55 percent had concentrations higher than 0.08 percent (80 mg per 100 ml) which is the legal limit in the United Kingdom. Blood specimens from three (3) controls, i.e. not involved in accidents, showed levels of between .002 percent (2mg percent) and .011 percent (11 mg percent). Many of the accident victims had B.A.Cs well over 0.1 percent (100 mg/100ml), and some were over 0.2 percent (200mg/100ml), levels of 0.2 percent could only be tolerated by habitual excessive drinkers who have developed considerable tolerance. The findings of this preliminary study point to an urgent need for B.A.C. legislation and the introduction of the breathalyser and other preventive strategies aimed at reducing the drinking/driving hazard (AU)