Alcohol and Injury: Surgical Knowledge and Attitudes Surgeon apply much of their time treating injured patients and are well aware that alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for all forms of trauma.

Alcohol and Injury: Surgical Knowledge and Attitudes

Surgeon apply much of their time treating injured patients and are well aware that alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for all forms of trauma. However, surgeons' knowledge and attitudes about the casualty diagnosis, and management of alcoholism in acutely injured patients have not been assessed.

At the 1987 annual meeting of the American literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning of Surgeons, held October 11-16 in San Francisco, we administered an interactive computerized questionnaire to more than 300 surgeon and other health professionals from all through the United States and from Canada and many foreign countries as well (see Figure 1)

All the participants, approximately two-thirds of whom were general surgeon were involved in the care or rehabilitation of trauma patients (see Figure 2)

mostly of the participating surgeons worked in medium- or large-sized hospitals that mirror the current pattern of trauma care in our home (see Figure 3).

Each visitor to our exhibit worn out 5 to 10 minutes completing a computerized quiz that asked questions about the diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism, the association between alcohol and injury, and the visitor's prior experience in the management of alcoholic patients. an hint of the frequency of underlying chronic alcoholism in surgical patients was obtained from replys to the question, "How many times in the past year have you diagnosed or suspected the diagnosis of alcoholism in an injured patient?" Nearly all the surgeon reported treating a monthly average of at least single or two injured patients each month with an additional suspected underlying vexed question of alcoholism (see Figure 4)

The view revealed several unexpected findings. equal though many major trauma center do not routinely perform experiments for blood alcohol concentration, greatest in number surgeons indicated that this laboratory determination was extremely useful and should be performed routinely forward all trauma victims. Furthermore, most numerous of the surgeons correctly identified the line alcohol test as the laboratory proof most likely to be abnormal in newly come accident cases. Perhaps the reluctance of about centers and surgeons to obtain kindred alcohol concentration determinations in all injury cases throw backs an inaccurate perception of legal rather than medical factors.

Among visitors to our booth general background knowledge about alcoholism was quite high. For example, most numerous surgeons gave correct responses when asked about a genetic basis for alcoholism, the legal vital current level used to define intoxicated driving in most States, the ne for a undiminished history and physical examination to make the diagnosis of alcoholism, and the multifactorial nature of the disease. Predictably, surgeon look aftered to overestimate the proportion of intoxicated drivers upon the road at any given time.

Because of the favorable reply in 1987, the exhibit will be instanted again at the 1988 annual meeting of the American association of Surgeons, when we trust to gather additional information by the agency of including questions about postinjury management and the disposition of patients with suspected alcoholism.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The research reported here was supported by the agency of the C. D. Smithers Foundation. [Figures 1 to 4 Omitted]

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