ABSTRACT
Hong Kong Med J 2010;16:246–51 | Number 4, August 2010
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Prevalence of drugged drivers among non-fatal driver casualties presenting to a trauma centre in Hong Kong
OF Wong, KL Tsui, Tommy SK Lam, NN Sze, SC Wong, FL Lau, SH Liu
Accident and Emergency Department, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong
OBJECTIVE. To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of abusive drug exposure among non-fatal motor vehicle driver casualties presenting to a designated trauma centre in Hong Kong.
DESIGN. Cross-sectional study.
SETTING. Designated trauma centre/regional accident and emergency department in Hong Kong.
SUBJECTS. Non-fatal motor vehicle driver casualties who presented to the trauma centre from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Screening of abusive drug exposure using commercial bedside urine immunoassay kits.
RESULTS. Drug screening was performed in 395 injured drivers, 10% of whom tested positive for the drugs of interest. Ketamine was the most commonly detected abusive substance (found in 45% of the subjects). A significantly higher proportion of young drivers (aged
CONCLUSIONS. The prevalence of drugged driving among non-fatal casualties in our series of Hong Kong drivers was 10%. The frequency of such drivers testing positive for drugs was significantly higher in persons aged less than 25 years. These findings indicate a need to amend existing laws and implement on-site drug screening for suspected drugged drivers.
Key words: Accidents, traffic; Psychotropic drugs; Street drugs; Substance abuse detection; Substance-related disorders
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