Alcohol contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of trauma patients, despite the consequences of the type of injury suffered.4 Alcohol is the most abused drug in the world. Any drink containing from 0.5 to 95% alcohol is considered an alcoholic beverage.5 When the drinking begins, it has a invigorating effect leading to loss of inhibition and increased sociability. With higher levels, it causes an increase in reaction time and decreases the reflex response and can lead to aggressive states, frustration and depression.6 When blood alcohol concentration reaches more than 30 mg% there is loss of driving ability and when it reaches around 150 to 300 mg % the person is prone for vomiting and stupor.7 In our victim the blood alcohol …show more content…
Moreover, the degree of hemorrhage may appear striking and disproportionate to the external and internal evidence of injury. Here in our case also the assault might have looked minor for witnesses since the person was assaulted by hands and feet only but certainly it resulted in sub arachnoid hemorrhage of traumatic origin. Aspiration is the inhalation of regurgitated gastric contents, it commonly occurs in patients who have marked disturbances of consciousness such as that resulting from a drug overdose, alcohol intoxication, seizures, a massive cerebro vascular accident, traumatic brain injury or the use of anaesthetist.11 In this case the patient vomited due to head injury and there was also a blunt trauma to abdomen which gave rise to increase in abdominal pressure which caused regurgitation of gastric contents which in turn caused aspiration. Further the alcohol intoxication in this patient resulted in diminished reflexes. Combined effect of aspiration and diminished reflexes resulted in asphyxia caused due to chocking of aspirated vomited contents leads to death of the patient. Alcohol intoxication leads to considerable harm of respiratory control following traumatic brain injury and may contribute to brain injury in intoxicated trauma victims.