Abstract:Objective To investigate the influences of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on inflammatory reactions and clinical outcomes in traumatic patients with severe traffic-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Method A total of 92 severe TBI patients admitted into our hospital from January 2012 to December 2016 were included in this prospective study. Patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) < 16 and Abbreviated Injury Scale- Head (AIS-Head) < 3 were excluded. Patients were divided into BAC positive group in which BCA > 0.5%, and BAC negative group in which BAC < 0.5% Serum levels BAC, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyte counts were measured. Clinical data of patients were recorded. Results Forty patients were included in BAC positive group and 52 patients were included in BAC negative group. There was no significant difference in ISS and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, and hospital stay was observed between two groups. Blood levels of IL-6, TNF-α, CRP and leukocyte counts were significantly lower in BAC positive group compared with that in BAC negative group (P < 0.05). Patients in BAC positive group exerted significant decreased levels of systolic blood pressures, heart rates, body temperatures, and packed red blood cells while increased breathing rate when compared with those in BAC negative group (P < 0.05). The two groups showed no significant differences in rates of in-hospital complications during their hospital stays including single/ multiple-organ failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Conclusion This study shows that existence of BAC in TBI patients is associated with immunosuppressive effects.