Binge Drinking Increases Potential for Burn Injuries and Even Death

Native News Network Staff in Native Health. Discussion »

CHICAGO – Binge drink, and you can expect big trouble. A study from researchers at the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago says getting burned can be one of those troubles.

50% of Adult Burn Patients

American Indians, older adults above 65 and children four and under are among groups at increased risk of fire related injuries and death, according to the Center for Diseases Controls.

Some of Loyola University's findings indicate there is a direct correlation between binge drinking and burn injuries. The study found nearly 50 percent of adult burn patients they observed had been binge drinking before being injured.

“Burn injury is just an additional one of those factors that could occur after binge drinking.”

States Elizabeth Kovacs is director of the Alcohol Research Program at Loyola University.

Burn patients who drank beforehand stayed in the hospital longer, and also had more infections later on.

The study, presented at the 44th annual meeting of the American Burn Association in Seattle was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

posted July 2, 2012 6:10 am edt