Kids grow up so fast: national patterns of positive drug/alcohol screens among pediatric trauma patients.

CONCLUSIONS: These national data support the need for further efforts to increase screening rates and provide structured interventions to mitigate the consequences of substance abuse. IMPACT: These data provide the first national evidence of underutilization of drug and alcohol screening in pediatric and adolescent trauma patients, with substantial rates of positive screens among those tested.Cannabinoids were the most commonly detected substance, followed by alcohol and then opioids.These data should guide physicians' and policymakers' efforts to improve screening in this high-risk population, which will amplify the potential benefits of using the trauma admission as a critical opportunity to intervene with structured programs to mitigate the consequences of substance abuse.Fig. 1Proportion of patients screened by age.Fig. 2Proportion of screens positive for drug or alcohol by age. PMID: 32947605 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Pediatric Research - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Pediatr Res Source Type: research