Alcohol And Other Drugs (AODs)

 

Alcohol And Other Drugs (AODs)

Use Of Alcohol And Other Drugs Has Been Recognized As A Major Independent Risk Factor In Unintentional Fatal And Nonfatal Injuries And In Intentional Injuries Such As Assaults, Homicides, And Suicides. Indeed, Some Clinicians Believe That Traumatic Injury Is A Marker Of Alcohol Abuse .  Although The Role Of Drugs Other Than Alcohol In Traumatic Injuries Has Not Been As Thoroughly Investigated, Studies Have Shown That Cocaine, Amphetamines, And Marijuana, Especially In Combination With Alcohol, Play A Significant Role In Traumatic Injuries Of All Kinds, Especially Motor Vehicle Crashes And Traffic Collision

The Risk Of Injury Is Increased Both By Immediate Use Of Alcohol And Other Drugs (Impairment And Intoxication) And By Chronic AOD Use And The Evidence Of  Alcoholism Has Been Found In Some Samples Of Trauma Patients. Many Aspects Of AODs And Their Effects Play A Role, Including The Following:

The Risk Alcohol And Other Drugs (AODs)

1. AODs Decrease The Level Of Alertness.
2. AODs Impair Motor Function, Diminishing Coordination And Balance And Increasing Reaction Time.
3. AODs Impair Judgment.
4. AODs Impair Perception And Cognitive Abilities.
5. AODs Increase Risk-Taking Behavior And Especially Feelings Of Invulnerability (Especially Among Adolescents And Young Adults).
6. AODs Affect The Emotions And Reduce Inhibitions, Intensifying Feelings Of Anger And Depression And Increasing Impulsivity.
7. Use Of AODs Is Associated With Increased Violent Behavior.
8. Chronic AOD Use Can Render A Person More Medically Fragile, And Thus Injuries Sustained Are More Severe.
9. Obtaining AODs, Especially Illicit Drugs, May Place The Individual In An Unsafe Environment

Untreated AOD Use Disorders Play A Significant Role In Reinjury

Persons Who Experience One Traumatic Head Injury Have Been Found To Be At Greatly Increased Risk For Reinjury. For Example, After One Head Injury, A Person Is Three Times More Likely Than Someone In The General Population To Sustain A Second Head Injury. After A Second Injury, The Relative Risk For A Third Injury Increases To Eight Times The Normal Risk . After One Head Injury, A Person Is Three Times More Likely Than Someone In The General Population To Sustain A Second Head Injury. After A Second Injury, The Relative Risk For A Third Injury Increases To Eight Times The Normal Risk.

.--

DR FIRAS ALKURDI
EMTM, MBBS.