261133 Identification of drugs (illicit and prescription) in drivers involved in motor vehicle injury collisions

Monday, October 29, 2012

Terry L. Bunn, PhD , College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Svetla Slavova, PhD , Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Michael Singleton, MS , College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Background: Drug use and abuse (illicit and prescription) has increased significantly in recent years. The present study was undertaken to identify drug use among drivers involved in motor vehicle injury collisions (MVICs) using multiple data sources: emergency department (ED), inpatient hospitalization (IH), trauma registry (TR), and mortality data sets. Methods: A descriptive analysis of Kentucky ED, IH, TR, and mortality data from 2008-2010 was performed. Results: There was a significant increase in ED visitation numbers and rates for drivers in MVICs with identified drug use from 2008-2010 (675 drivers/100,000 MVICs in 2008 to 893/100,000 in 2010); most were aged 25-34 (n=123). Of the drivers in the ED, 115 were diagnosed with cannabis, 79 with opiates, 56 with cocaine, and 336 with other drugs. There was a concomitant significant increase in the IH rate, from 8,183/100,000 in 2008 to 12,286/100,000 in 2010; 159 were diagnosed with opiates, 79 with cocaine, and 185 with other drugs. The TR data identified an additional 1,122 patients with confirmed prescription drugs, 296 patients with confirmed illegal drug use, and 56 with prescription/illegal drugs from 2008-2010. Six drivers were autopsied with drugs cited as a contributing cause of death from 2008-2010. Using multiple data sources, a total of 2,611 drivers were identified with drugs in MVICs. Conclusions: The development of policy strategies (i.e., increased training of traffic officers in drug recognition, use of sobriety check points), and interventions (prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programs) are critical elements for a multipronged approach to reduce drug use among drivers.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
1. To identify the number of drivers diagnosed with the presence of drugs (illicit and prescription) in motor vehicle injury collisions using multiple public health data sources 2. To calculate rates of drug use (illicit and prescription) among drivers involved in motor vehicle injury collisions using multiple data sources 3. To identify illicit and prescription drug classes present in drivers involved in motor vehicle injury collisions 4. To assess the utility of trauma registry data as a supplemental data source to identify prescription drug use among drivers involved in a motor vehicle injury collision

Keywords: Prescription Drug Use Patterns, Drug Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator on multiple federally funded grants focusing on the prevention of injuries including prescription drug abuse and on worker safety and health. I have published previously on the population-based surveillance of drugs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3384.0: Addressing Prescription Drug Use & Abuse