Alcohol intoxication in children and adolescents requiring emergency hospital admission in 20 major children's hospitals in Germany between 2000–2002

Objective: Drug and alcohol (C2H5OH) abuse is an increasing problem in children and adolescents throughout the world. However, precise epidemiological data on acute C2H5OH intoxication in children and adolescents requiring hospital admission are rare (1, 2).

Methods: An ex-post analysis was performed to assess the number of children and adolescents (age 10–17 years) with acute C2H5OH intoxications who required in-patient treatment (≥24 hours) in 20 major children hospitals in Germany between 2000 and 2002. The diagnosis of C2H5OH intoxications was made on the basis of the discharge summary of the participating hospitals, and was defined according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10.

Results: The number of children and adolescents with acute C2H5OH intoxications requiring in-patient hospital treatment increased from 227 in 2000 to 313 in 2001 (+38%) and 350 in 2002 (+12%). The percentage of female patients increased from 34.1% in 2000 to 41.9% in 2001 and 49.8% in 2002. As far as age is concerned the most significant increase in intoxicated patients was seen in adolescents aged 15–17 years. Mean time spent in the hospital was 1.5 days (range: 24h – >4 days). In conjunction with data from the German Federal Health Institute, the overall annual incidence of acute C2H5OH intoxications in this age cohort (10–17 years) requiring hospital admission years in Germany can be estimated to be 1/1000 youth.

Conclusions: Our study provides epidemiological data on the incidence of alcohol abuse in children and adolescents. It demonstrates an increase in the incidence of acute C2H5OH intoxications requiring hospital admission in children and adolescents in Germany between 2000 and 2002. Apparently, gender differences seem to play a minor role in alcohol abuse. Our data may be indicative of an overall rise in alcohol consumption and abuse in this specific age cohort. Specific intervention programmes including short-term (eg, increasing awareness of potential harm of alcohol) and long-term measures (eg, legislation) are mandatory.

References: (1) Woolfenden S, Dosseter D, Williams K. Children and adolescents with acute alcohol intoxication/self-poisoning presenting to the emergency department. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156: 345–348. (2) O'Farrell, Allwright S, Downey J, et al. The burden of alcohol misuse on emergency in-patient hospital admissions among residents from a health board region in Ireland. Addiction 2004; 99: 1279–1285