Alcohol use disorder is associated with inpatient admission after mild traumatic brain injury.

Abstract

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is commonly associated with alcohol use. We investigated how inpatient admission patterns after mTBI vary for patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with mTBI from the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Program dataset. Mixed regression models measured associations with inpatient admission, including among a subgroup of patients with AUD. Effect modification was tested for age, race, and acute intoxication. 78,937 patients with mTBI were included, and 7.0 % had AUD. AUD was associated with increased admission odds (OR, 1.83; 95 % CI, 1.67-2.01). Black patients and those presenting intoxicated had this effect reduced. Among a subgroup of patients with AUD, acute intoxication reduced admission odds (OR, 0.73; 95 % CI, 0.59-0.91). AUD increased inpatient admission odds after mTBI, while acute intoxication reduced these odds among patients with AUD. These findings help contextualize care for the common diagnostic constellation of mTBI and AUD.