Open AccessDemographic Patterns and Outcomes of Patients in Level I Trauma Centers in Three International Trauma Systems
Author(s) -
Gunning Amy C.,
Lansink Koen W. W.,
Wessem Karlijn J. P.,
Balogh Zsolt J.,
Rivara Frederick P.,
Maier Ronald V.,
Leenen Luke P. H.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
world journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.115
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1432-2323
pISSN - 0364-2313
DOI - 10.1007/s00268-015-3162-x
Subject(s) - medicine , odds ratio , confidence interval , cardiac surgery , trauma center , injury severity score , prospective cohort study , emergency medicine , surgery , poison control , retrospective cohort study , injury prevention
Trauma systems were developed to improve the care for the injured. The designation and elements comprising these systems vary across countries. In this study, we have compared the demographic patterns and patient outcomes of Level I trauma centers in three international trauma systems. Methods International multicenter prospective trauma registry‐based study, performed in the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, the Netherlands, John Hunter Hospital (JHH), Newcastle, Australia, and Harborview Medical Center (HMC), Seattle, the United States. Inclusion: patients ≥18 years, admitted in 2012, registered in the institutional trauma registry. Results In UMCU, JHH, and HMC, respectively, 955, 1146, and 4049 patients met the inclusion criteria of which 300, 412, and 1375 patients with Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 15. Mean ISS was higher in JHH (13.5; p < 0.001) and HMC (13.4; p < 0.001) compared to UMCU (11.7). Unadjusted mortality: UMCU = 6.5 %, JHH = 3.6 %, and HMC = 4.8 %. Adjusted odds of death: JHH = 0.498 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.303–0.818] and HMC = 0.473 (95 % CI 0.325–0.690) compared to UMCU. HMC compared to JHH was 1.002 (95 % CI 0.664–1.514). Odds of death patients ISS > 15: JHH = 0.507 (95 % CI 0.300–0.857) and HMC = 0.451 (95 % CI 0.297–0.683) compared to UMCU. HMC = 0.931 (95 % CI 0.608–1.425) compared to JHH. TRISS analysis: UMCU: Ws = 0.787, Z = 1.31, M = 0.87; JHH, Ws = 3.583, Z = 6.7, M = 0.89; HMC, Ws = 3.902, Z = 14.6, M = 0.84. Conclusion This study demonstrated substantial differences across centers in patient characteristics and mortality, mainly of neurological cause. Future research must investigate whether the outcome differences remain with nonfatal and long‐term outcomes. Furthermore, we must focus on the development of a more valid method to compare systems.