Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol among Road Traffic Accident Patients Presenting to a Tertiary Care Centre

INTRODUCTION: Driving under the influence is one of the most significant risk factors for road traffic accidents, leading to severe and multiple orthopaedic injuries. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol among road traffic accident patients presenting to a tertiary care centre. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on patients involved in road traffic accidents presenting to a tertiary care centre. Data from 10 January 2020 to 9 December 2021 were collected between 22 July 2023 to 22 August 2023 from the hospital records after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. Patients who had road traffic accidents and were diagnosed with fractures were included in the study. Patients with incomplete hospital records were excluded from the study. Convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. RESULTS: Among 2,519 patients, 307 (12.19%) (10.91-13.47, 95% Confidence Interval) were driving under the influence of alcohol when involved in a road traffic accident. Out of 307 patients, 305 (99.35%) accidents involved two-wheelers. A total of 118 (38.44%) patients suffered soft tissue injuries, while 47 (15.31%) sustained head injuries, and 28 (9.12%) sustained facial injuries. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol among road traffic accident patients presenting to a tertiary care centre was similar to other studies done in similar settings.