Motor vehicle collision fatalities involving alcohol and illicit drugs in Greece: the need for management protocols and a reassessment of surveillance

Papadopoulos, Iordanis N.; Bonovas, Stefanos; Kanakaris, Nikolaos K.; Konstantiadou, Ioanna; Nikolopoulos, Georgios K.; Konstantoudakis, George; Leukidis, Christos

doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03072.x

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…During the period between 1998-2004, male drivers aged between 20 and 40 years were found more likely to be involved in alcohol-related RTAs (23). In Athens, the capital of Greece, almost a third of RTA-related fatalities have been found to be associated with the use of alcohol, psychoactive drugs or both (24). In addition, in a 3-year study (2006)(2007)(2008) (25) in the region of Central Macedonia, it was observed that alcohol was detected in 28% of the drivers involved in a fatal collision.…”

Section: Incidence Of Fatalities Of Road Traffic Accidents Associatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incidence of fatalities of road traffic accidents associated with alcohol consumption and the use of psychoactive drugs: A 7-year survey�(2011-2017)

et al. 2019

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Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or psychoactive substances increases the risk of severe, even fatal motor vehicle accidents. The aim of this descriptive study was to present the impact of alcohol and/or psychoactive substances on fatal road traffic accidents (RTAs) during the period 2011-2017. For this purpose, the toxicological investigation reports from the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of the University of Athens were used. In total, 1,841 (32.2%) of the autopsies conducted by the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens over a 7-year period (2011-2017) were victims of fatal RTAs. Blood and urine samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of alcohol and psychoactive substances. The results were classified according to sex, age, victim (car driver, motorcyclist, pedestrian, or passenger) and the date the accident occurred (day, month and year). In total, 40.7% of the RTA-related fatalities were associated with alcohol consumption, among which 20.3% were car drivers. Of these, 87.3% were male victims. A higher frequency of RTA-related fatalities associated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) >110 mg/dl was encountered in younger compared with older age groups. Psychoactive substances were detected in 348 (18.9%) of the victims (cannabis in 46.6% of these, benzodiazepines in 25.9%, opiates in 16.4% and cocaine in 11.1% of these). The percentage of the RTA-related victims that had consumed alcohol in combination with other psychoactive substances was 4.5%. On the whole, the findings of this study suggest that alcohol and psychoactive substances are probably risk factors for RTA-related fatalities.

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Section: Incidence Of Fatalities Of Road Traffic Accidents Associatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incidence of fatalities of road traffic accidents associated with alcohol consumption and the use of psychoactive drugs: A 7-year survey�(2011-2017)

et al. 2019

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“…In terms of demographics and mechanisms of injury few things have changed for Greek trauma over the past decades. As recorded in our study, Greek trauma patients are mostly young, and the leading mechanisms of injury are RTCs and falls 4 5 21 25–41. Our major finding regarding the need for improved prehospital trauma patient management and transfer is not a new problem for the Greek healthcare system 24.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…In a previous systematic review of our team, we found that over the last decades a number of registries have been established across Greece 4 5 21 24–42. In terms of demographics and mechanisms of injury few things have changed for Greek trauma over the past decades.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Evaluating trauma care, outcomes and costs in a system in crisis: the necessity of a Greek National Trauma Database

Prionas¹,

Tsoulfas

Tooulias

et al. 2020

Trauma Surg Acute Care Open

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BackgroundAt present there is no organized trauma system in Greece and no national trauma database. The objective of this study was to record and evaluate trauma management at our university hospital and to measure the associated healthcare costs, while laying the foundations for a national database and the organization of regional trauma networks.MethodsRetrospective study of trauma patients (n=2320) between 2014 and 2015, through our single-center registry. Demographic information, injury patterns, hospital transfer, investigations, interventions, duration of hospitalization, Injury Severity Score (ISS), outcomes, complications and cost were recorded.ResultsRoad traffic collisions (RTC) accounted for 23.2% of traumas. The proportion of patients who were transferred to the hospital by the National Emergency Medical Services decreased throughout the study (n2015=76/1192 (6.38%), n2014=109/1128 (9.7%)) (p<0.05). 1209 (52.1%) of our trauma patients did not meet the US trauma field triage algorithm criteria. Overtriage of trauma patients to our facility ranged from 90.7% to 96.7%, depending on the criteria used (clinical vs. ISS criteria). Ninety-one (3.9%) of our patients received operative management. Intensive care unit admissions were 21 (0.1%). Seventy-six (3.3%) of our patients had ISS>15 and their mortality was 31.6%. The overall non-salary cost for trauma management was €623 140. 53% of these costs were attributed to RTCs. The cost resulting from the observed overtriage ranged from €121 000 to €315 000. Patients who did not meet the US trauma triage algorithm criteria accounted for 10.5% of total expenses.DiscussionOur results suggest that RTCs pose a significant financial burden. The prehospital triage of trauma patients is ineffective. A reduction of costs could have been achieved if prehospital triage was more effective.Level of evidenceLevel IV.

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Cultural Accommodation of the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Young Adolescents 10–14: Greek Phase I and II Study

Kyritsi

Bacopoulou

2021

GeNeDis 2020

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Motor vehicle collision fatalities involving alcohol and illicit drugs in Greece: the need for management protocols and a reassessment of surveillance

Cited by 6 publications

References 43 publications

Incidence of fatalities of road traffic accidents associated with alcohol consumption and the use of psychoactive drugs: A 7-year survey�(2011-2017)

Incidence of fatalities of road traffic accidents associated with alcohol consumption and the use of psychoactive drugs: A 7-year survey�(2011-2017)

Evaluating trauma care, outcomes and costs in a system in crisis: the necessity of a Greek National Trauma Database

Cultural Accommodation of the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Young Adolescents 10–14: Greek Phase I and II Study

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