Besides the acute effects of alcohol consumption on the neurological function of the brain, there are physical changes that result from moderate to severe lifetime drinking. Of particular concern is brain atrophy ("shrinking" of the brain). Brain atrophy leaves more room inside the cranium for blood to collect during a brain injury. Alcohol weakens the walls of blood vessels and makes them more susceptable to rupture and bleeding. The combination of these factors leads to the increase of intracranial hemmorrhage, and the consumption of alcohol leads to the possibility of falling.
Victims are Never "Just Drunk"
There may be a tendency to dismiss intoxicated victims' complaints because of the indicators that alcohol is present. Severely intoxicated victims will often smell of alcohol and may have undesirable attributes, like incontinence, that make them unpleasant to treat.With all these effects of alcohol on the body and mind, very real medical problems can be overlooked. Knowing the consequences, there's no excuse for a poor assessment. Always assume signs and symptoms are from the most severe medical condition possible and then rule out causes in turn, working toward less serious conditions. Often, alcohol intoxication is the least of a victim's problems.
Professionals and lay rescuers alike must take alcohol intoxication into account when assessing victims of illness or injury. Just the presence of alcohol can make some outcomes worse. An intoxicated victim with shortness of breath may have a more severe reaction to a lack of oxygen.
Chronic alcohol abuse leads to very serious medical problems, damaging organs as diverse as the liver, esophagus, brain, and heart. Not to mention, chronic alcohol abusers tend to use other damaging substances - like tobacco - with their own consequences. Treat victims' needs regardless of their drinking habits.
References:
- Cardenas, VA, C Studholme, DJ Meyerhoff, E Song, and MV Weiner. "Chronic active heavy drinking and family history of problem drinking modulate regional brain tissue volumes." Psychiatry Res 138(2005): 115-30.
- National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care. Head injury: triage, assessment, investigation and early management of head injury in infants, children and adults. London (UK): National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2003
- Cherpitel CJ, Ye Y, Bond J, Rehm J, Cremonte M, Neves O, Moskalewicz J, Swiatkiewicz G, and Giesbrecht N. "The effect of alcohol consumption on emergency department services use among injured patients: a cross-national emergency room study." J Stud Alcohol. 67(6)2006: 890-7.
- Genetta, Thomas, Ben H. Lee, and Augusto Sola. "Low doses of ethanol and hypoxia administered together act synergistically to promote the death of cortical neurons." J Neuroscience Research 2006
