Cent Eur J Public Health 2018, 26(1):39-44 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4644

Alcohol and drug intoxications in adolescents admitted to paediatric wards in the Czech Republic: 5-year retrospective study 2006-2010

Pavel Kabíček1, Jiří Kobr2, Lumír Šašek2, Zita Obdržálková3, Ludmila Svitálková4, Věra Hůrková4, Jiří Zeman5
1 Department of Paediatrics, Thomayer Hospital and First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
2 Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
3 Department of Paediatrics, Faculty Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
4 Department of Paediatrics, District Hospital of T. Bata, Zlín, Czech Republic
5 Department of Paediatrics, General Faculty Hospital and First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Objectives: The aim of the study was to establish frequency, severity and circumstances of alcohol and drug intoxications in adolescents admitted to inpatient wards in the Czech Republic.

Methods: Chief physician of each participating ward (or their designated deputy) searched the patient records for required information. The data was then statistically processed.

Results: Thirty inpatient paediatric wards participated in the study (27 district wards and 3 university hospital wards), amounting to more than a third of all paediatric wards in the country. The total number of intoxications reported was 2,176, the majority of which were alcohol-related (84.5%), followed by cannabinoids and, to a lesser degree, amphetamines. The number of alcohol intoxications increased by 22% during the 5-year observation period, whilst the frequency of illegal drugs intoxications remained the same. We also observed an increase in the percentage of alcohol intoxications in girls - from 42% to 45.5%. The mean age at intoxication was low - 15.5 years. The Glasgow Coma Scale in individual episodes of intoxication increased during the study duration/follow up period. The proportion of alcohol intoxications originating in pubs, clubs or other public institutions was 25%.

Conclusion: The number of alcohol intoxications has risen during the observation period. The age at which these intoxications occurred is very low. Of serious concern is the fact, that 25% of alcohol intoxications originated in places where alcohol is sold, despite the fact that majority of the adolescents were under the legal drinking age limit of 18 years.

Keywords: alcohol intoxication, abuse of addictive substances, syndrome of risk behaviour in youth, adolescence, cannabinoids, CRAFFT

Received: November 24, 2015; Revised: December 6, 2017; Published: March 30, 2018  Show citation

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Kabíček P, Kobr J, Šašek L, Obdržálková Z, Svitálková L, Hůrková V, Zeman J. Alcohol and drug intoxications in adolescents admitted to paediatric wards in the Czech Republic: 5-year retrospective study 2006-2010. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2018;26(1):39-44. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a4644. PubMed PMID: 29684296.
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