Determination of blood alcohol concentration in traffic crash victims admitted to the surgical emergency department at the Sanou Sourô University Hospital, Burkina Faso; [Détermination de l’alcoolémie chez les victimes d’accident de la voie publique admises aux urgences chirurgicales du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sourô Sanou, Burkina Faso]

Ethanol is a psychoactive substance associated in road traffic crashes. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of ethanol in human plasma. This was a cross-sectional study on road traffic crash victims admitted to the surgical emergency department. Determination of the ethanol concentration and catalytic activities of gamma-glutamyltransferase and transaminases were carried out using enzymatic methods. An ethanol concentration lower than 0.2 g/L was considered normal according to the laws in Burkina Faso. A total of 45 traffic crash victims with a median age of 32 years (minimum-maximum: 18-71 years) constituted the study population. A high ethanol concentration was found in 26.67% (12/45) of the victims with a median value of 1.01 g/L (minimum-maximum: 0.2-3.00 g/L). These results clearly demonstrate a high alcohol impregnation in road traffic crash victims. Hence the interest of a systematic screening for blood alcohol content in surgical emergencies. © 2023 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.