DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE IN ORTHOPAEDIC TRAUMA PATIENTS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

The objective of this study is to prospectively investigate the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of drug and alcohol use among orthopaedic trauma patients. After the ethical approval from the institutional review board, this cross-sectional study was conducted at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center from 01/09/23 to 29/02/24. Baseline data was collected upon admission and included demographic information (such as age and gender) and a comprehensive assessment of substance use history. Substance use was assessed using validated screening tools, including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST), to capture patterns of alcohol and drug use, frequency, duration, and any previous treatment history for substance use disorders. In the present study, the prevalence of drug and alcohol use among the orthopedic traumatic participants was (40%). Among them, the majority (51%) were using alcohol, followed by marijuana use (25%), and then cocaine (11%).  The means of hospital stay of participants in substance non-users and users (2.4±0.8 vs. 6.83±1.1; P<0.0001). Pre-injury alcohol and drug use appear to correlate with extended hospital stays among patients with traumatic orthopaedic injuries.