Skip Navigation



Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on March 1, 2006
Alcohol and Alcoholism, doi:10.1093/alcalc/agh259
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
41/3/345    most recent
agh259v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by KAUKONEN, J.-P.
Right arrow Articles by LEPPILAMPI, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by KAUKONEN, J.-P.
Right arrow Articles by LEPPILAMPI, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol. All rights reserved
Received June 9, 2005
Revised December 9, 2005
Accepted December 10, 2005

Article

ACUTE ALCOHOL USE AMONG PATIENTS WITH ACUTE HIP FRACTURES: A DESCRIPTIVE INCIDENCE STUDY IN SOUTHEASTERN FINLAND

J.-P. KAUKONEN 1 *, I. NURMI-LÜTHJE 2, P. LÜTHJE 3, H. NABOULSI 1, S. TANNINEN 3, M. KATAJA 4, M.-L. KALLIO 3, and M. LEPPILAMPI 1

1 Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, Lahti, Finland
2 Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Health Centre of Kouvola Region, Kouvola, Finland
3 Kuusankoski Regional Hospital, Kuusankoski, Finland
4 National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
J.-P. KAUKONEN, E-mail: juha-pekka.kaukonen{at}phks.fi


  Abstract

Aim: To assess the very recent use of alcohol among patients admitted to two Finnish hospitals due to an acute hip fracture. Method: Very recent use of alcohol was recorded according to the patient's or the relatives' report. Ethanol was measured in blood samples taken at admission. Serum {gamma}-glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, and vitamin D concentration were measured. Reported use of medication, vitamin D, and/or calcium supplementation was recorded. Results: Complete data were obtained on 222 of 375 eligible patients; 71% of those enrolled were women. The mean age of women was 80.5 years (SD 10) and of men 73 years (SD 12) (P < 0.001). The fracture type was femoral neck in 50%, trochanteric in 41%, and subtrochanteric in 9%. The use of alcohol within 24 h before the accident leading to hip fracture was reported by 21.5% of men and 7% of women; positive serum alcohol levels were noted in 17% (19% of men and 16% of women) and 2.2% had a level of >1.0 mg/l. Recent alcohol use was more common among patients in the age group of 65-74 years than among older patients (P < 0.001). The use of alcohol was associated strongly with tobacco use (P = 0.00012) but had no association with vitamin D levels. Alcohol users used less medication than non-users (P < 0.01). Women seemed to conceal their use of alcohol more than men (P < 0.005). Conclusions: Alcohol consumption was common among patients with an acute hip fracture, being more common in younger than in older patients. Use of alcohol in the 24 h prior to the injury was reported by 21.5% of men and 7% of women. Alcohol concentration in blood was positive in 19% of men and 16% of women.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.