This study aimed to: 1) provide relative risk (RR) estimates between acute alcohol use and injuries from emergency departments in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Nicaragua and Panama, and 2) test whether the RR differs if two control periods for the estimates were used.
Case-crossover methodology was used to obtain estimates of the RR of having an injury within six hours after drinking alcohol, using a pair-matching design with control periods of the same time of day the day prior to injury, and the same time of day and day of week the week prior to injury.
Emergency departments(EDs).
2,503 injured patients from EDs were interviewed between 2010-2011, with a response rate of 92.6%.
Number of drinks consumed within six hours prior to the injury and in the two control periods.
The RR of injury after drinking alcohol was 4.38 (95% confidence interval CI= 3.29-5.84) using as the control period the prior week, and 5.35 (CI=3.50-8.17) using as a control period the prior day. The RR was 5.08 (CI=4.15-6.23) in multiple matching. Those drinking 1-2 drinks had a RR of 4.85 (CI=3.12-7.54); those drinking 3-5 a RR of 5.00 (CI =3.47-7.18); those drinking 6-15 a RR of 4.54 (CI=3.36-6.14); and those drinking 16 or more a RR of 10.42 (CI=4.38-24.79).
As in other countries, drinking alcohol is an important trigger for an injury in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Nicaragua and Panama.
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