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According to a study published in the June issue of the journal Alcohol, it appears that
Alcohol may protect trauma patients from later complications.
From the article:
Injured patients who have alcohol in their blood have a reduced risk for developing cardiac and renal complications, according to a study from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. Among patients who did develop complications, those with alcohol in their blood were less likely to die.
"After an injury, if you are intoxicated there seems to be a substantial protective effect," says UIC injury epidemiologist Lee Friedman, author of the study. "But we don't fully understand why this occurs."
In patients who had alcohol in their blood, cardiac complications were reduced by 23.5 percent. Renal complications were reduced by 30 percent.
As alcohol impairs one's ability to avoid traumatic injury (like a car accident), not drinking sounds like the real win. But, if you are in an accident, the booze seemed to help with your chances to survive.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 07 2014, @12:14AM
Back in the late 70s a high school Biology teacher was still driving his graduation present, 1968 Pontiac GTO fully dressed with His-n-Hers shifter etc. Many of his students drooled over the thought of having that car. His girlfriend and future fiance/wife had other ideas though. Either it was gone or she was. He announced that he was going to sell it for just $800 come Saturday morning and we all rushed there to get it filling up his yard expecting things to become an auction, instead he took the $800 money that was stuck into his face when he opened his door and handed over the title much to the disappointment of the crowd but obviously not to the smiling face of his future bride. That very night the guy that purchased the car got drunk in celebration and totalled it when hot rodding it and rolling it multiple times. He crawled out of the spot where the back glass was virtually without a scratch or bruise.
Heard that he didn't look near so well a few days later after numerous guys that were also in the yard that day heard about his "fantastic luck" while being a "drunken rag doll" during the wreck. So sometimes the dummies do better then the dummies and sometimes things catch up to them.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by opinionated_science on Saturday June 07 2014, @01:05AM
and a friend of mine at college got really drunk and let a friend of HIS drive home. His friend died in the crash, and he lost an eye and an arm.
Drink and driving is a statistically rigged game. It is hazardous enough driving cars when we are sober.....!
On the article, I think the vasodiation is part of it, but a consequence of this is that tissues are more "plump" providing some cushioning.
However, remember when you are intoxicated your liver is working overtime ,so you had better not have a medical condition that requires vigourous enzymatic production!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 07 2014, @03:41AM
I read about this in the paper: Routine Drunk-Driving Trip Turns Tragic For Five Local Teens [theonion.com]