Recreational Drugs and Outcomes in Trauma Patients

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to determine if marijuana, methamphetamine, or cocaine is associated with worse outcomes following trauma. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 731 trauma patients. Data collected from Natividad Medical Center's trauma registry were used to analyze reports of adult patients from July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2017. Analyzed endpoints were mortality, rates of major trauma, mean Injury Severity Score (ISS), and length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: Odds ratios for mortality contained null value in each group. Odds ratios for suffering major trauma for marijuana and amphetamines were 1.2 and 2.6, respectively. P values for ISS were >0.05 for each group. P values for LOS were >0.05 for marijuana and cocaine and 0.01 for amphetamines. CONCLUSIONS: A positive screen for marijuana, amphetamine, or cocaine is not associated with increased mortality for victims of trauma. Amphetamines are associated with higher rates of major trauma and longer LOS. Marijuana is associated with higher rates of major trauma. Cocaine is not associated with the likelihood of suffering major trauma or length of stay.