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Vitale S, Mheen D. 
“Illicit drug use and injuries: A review of emergency room studies”. 
Drug Alcohol Depend. 2006 Mar 15;82(1):1-9.
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  • Erowid RefID: 6636
  • PubMedID: 16183213
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    Abstract
    The reviewed emergency room studies (n=11) show overall prevalence rates of illicit drug use of 35-40% in studies using blood and urine toxicology and 1-5% in self-report studies. Cannabis and cocaine are the substances most prevalent in these studies, with a higher prevalence of cocaine in emergency rooms in the USA than in other countries where cannabis is the most common substance. Illicit drugs and alcohol are often used in combination. No relationship was found between injury severity and illicit drug use. Less clear associations emerged concerning patient and injury characteristics and illicit drug use. However, illicit drug use seems to be more common in men aged 20-40 years and is strongly associated with violence-related injuries. Variations in the prevalence rates and patient characteristics can partly be explained by locale and/or country of research. Moreover, because methodological differences influence the study outcomes, methodological aspects of emergency room studies should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results.
    Comments and Responses to this Article
    #
    Status: display
    earth
    Apr 17, 2011 1:59
    Alcohol Bad, Illegal Drugs Neutral #
    This review of emergency room studies that looked at alcohol and illegal drug use and their relation to injuries found that alcohol use appeared to increase the likelihood of more severe injuries, but illegal drug use did not increase the severity of injuries:

    'The association between illicit drug use and specific types of injuries has been reported, but none of the studies reviewed here reported a correlation between injury severity and illicit drug use.'

    'Patients frequenting the emergency room with casualties are more likely to be positive for blood alcohol at the time of the visit and to have reported drinking prior to the event compared to the non-injured. Illicit drug use and injuries are not that strongly related. Specific types of injuries (e.g. violence related) and specific types of accidents (motor vehicle) are related to specific types of illegal drugs (marijuana and cocaine). Illicit drug use in general, in contrast to alcohol, is not associated with injuries..............

    Marijuana is also the most prevalent type of drug in persons involved in traffic accidents. The pure effect of cannabis is clouded due to its use in combination with alcohol....'
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