World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

EVALUATION OF THE PREVALENCE OF ALCOHOL INTAKE IN PATIENTS ADMETTED AT THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY UNI: CASE OF THE YAOUNDÉ EMERGENCY CENTER

Yinyang Jacques, *Manaoda Antoine Vayaraï, Kidik Pouka, Mbipeh Emmanuel Kinyui Ndi and
Adiogo Dieudonné

ABSTRACT

Background: the abusive use of alcohol is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the third major cause of death or disability, and is 9 % responsible for road accidents in the whole world.[1] This is clearly due to the great motorization of region but also, due to easy access to alcoholic beverages by the population. Unfortunately, both the consumers and the peoples around them suffer the consequences. Thus, in order to prevent the risks of road accident due to acute alcohol intoxication, we aimed first to determine the blood alcohol concentration of patients admitted at the emergency unit of hospitals in Cameroun, case of the Yaoundé Emergency Center. Methods: we use the Alco meter ALCOHAWK ultra slim in which the participants blown into, then we recorded the results appearing on the screen of the apparatus; we also took note of the time at which they arrived the emergency unit and the emergency motives. Results: 157 patients, i.e. 61 (38.85 %) women and 96 (61.15 %) men, distributed into 60 (38.22 %) internal medicine cases, 49 (31.21 %) road traffic accident, 35 (22.29 % aggressions, 11 (7.01) other accidents and 2 (1.27 %) cases of gynecology with an average age of 40.38 ± 16.33 years, took part in the study. The Blood alcohol concentration mean was 0.169 ± 0.136 ? (0.46 g / L; with an acute alcohol intoxication prevalence of 56.05. The range aged of 26 to 35 had the highest level of intoxication (15.29 % ? 0.15 BAC i.e. equal to 0.5 g / L and young males were 0.75 times more intoxicated than young females. More, 109 (69.43 %) emergency problems were directly or indirectly linked to alcohol consumption and 48 (30.57 %) other cases were not. Conclusion: the young men, aged between 18 and 35, both coming for road traffic accidents, internal medicine cases and aggression at the emergency center, coming at all moment according to their various occupations, marital status, educational background and their area of residence, have for the most part a blood alcohol level ? 0.5g/ L (? 0.46g/ L) They therefore constitute a major risk factor that can endanger their lives and people around.

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