BACKGROUND: @entity167 is a major contributing factor in adult @entity130 and may adversely affect decision-making in other safety areas such as use of seatbelts and motorcycle helmets. The magnitude of risk-taking behavior and poor decision-making among adolescent @entity130 @entity1 is not fully appreciated. Our objective was to determine the prevalence and pattern of risk-taking behavior among adolescents (age < or = 20 years) admitted to an adult Level I @entity130 center. METHODS: The @entity130 registry was used to identify @entity1 . Data collected included age, mechanism of injury, blood @entity167 and urine toxicology results, seatbelt and helmet use, Glasgow @entity772 Score, Injury Severity Score, and outcome. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of all admissions to an adult @entity130 center were adolescents (648 of 4,291). Twenty-one percent of adolescents (138 of 648) and 30% of adults (1,067 of 3,643) tested positive for blood @entity167 on admission. Seatbelts were worn by only 19% of adolescent motor vehicle crash admissions versus 30% of adults. Only 7% of adolescents (6 of 83) with detectable @entity167 used restraints, compared with 22% (67 of 310) without documented @entity167 ingestion (p < 0.05). Adults were somewhat better at restraint use (16% of @entity167 -positive @entity1 and 36% without @entity167 ). Eight of 23 minors (35%) in motorcycle/bicycle crashes were wearing a helmet, compared with 95 of 168 adults (57%). Overall, 6.7% of adolescents and 8.6% of adults had positive toxicology screens. Adolescents with known @entity167 consumption were twice as likely to have a positive toxicology screen for illegal drugs (15 vs. 7%; p < 0.05). @entity167 was also frequently detected among adolescents with mechanisms of injury other than motor vehicle and motorcycle crashes, such as violence (25%) and falls (44%). CONCLUSION: @entity167 is frequently involved in all types of @entity130 , for adolescents as well as adults. This is often compounded by poor decision-making and multiple risk-taking behaviors.

Risk-taking behaviors among adolescent @entity130 XXXX .

@entity167 :: ('CHEBI:16236', 'Chemical') :: ['alcohol', 'Alcohol'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity772 :: ('MESH:D003128', 'Disease') :: ['Coma'] @entity130 :: ('MESH:D014947', 'Disease') :: ['trauma']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['patients']
