Severity of ocular injury in relation to alcohol and illicit drug use in patients admitted to a level one trauma facility

Purpose. To determine whether there is an association between the severity of ocular injury and the presence of positive blood alcohol levels and/or drug toxicology screens in patients requiring admission to a major trauma center Methods A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients with ocular trauma requiring admission to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio between November 1995 and November 1996 Results The specific causes of ocular trauma in our patient population included motor vehicle accidents (38%), assaults (48%), falls ( 11%) and other (2%). Assessment of the blood alcohol level and drug toxicology was obtained in 70% of patients, with 60% of these being positive for alcohol and/or drug use The average injury severity in patients with positive drug/alcohol screens was 4 3, compared to 3 0 in patients with negative drug/alcohol screens, using a standardized rating scale Conclusions Positive blood alcohol and/or illicit drug toxicology correlates with more severe ocular injury.