[Evaluation of multitraumatized patients admitted to a trauma center].
BACKGROUND
This study describes the survival possibility in a population of Danish multitraumatized patients. The analysis is related to international standards and to development over time as well.


METHODS
The study included 1664 patients admitted as trauma patients to the Odense University Hospital during the period January 1st 1996 to December 31st 2001. Demographic and injury related data were registered prospectively, as were basic data for scoring systems such as Abbreviated Injury Scale, Injury Severity Score, and Revised Trauma Score. These data were used in an analysis of the survival probability using the Trauma and Injury Score method.


RESULTS
A number of 598 (36 per cent) patients had ISS > 15, whereas 724 (44 per cent) had NISS > 15. 71 per cent came from road traffic accidents. The overall mortality was 14 per cent. The survival probability using the Trauma and Injury Score method was significantly better than in American and British trauma databases despite comparable trauma severity.


CONCLUSIONS
The treatment of multitraumatized patients at the Odense University Hospital is at least comparable to international standards and there seems to be an improvement of the survival probability during the study period 1996 to 2001. National cooperation aiming towards a national database would be desirable since it would then be possible to make regression analysis taking special Danish factors into consideration. This could lead to an improvement of the trauma care in trauma centres as well as in small hospitals.
Larsen
Morten Schultz
MS
Ortopaedkirurgisk afdeling O, UlykkesAnalyseGruppen, Odense Universitetshospital, DK-5000 Odense C. morten.s.larsen@ouh.fyns-amt.dk
Houshian
Shirzad
S
Mikkelsen
Jan Beck
JB
D015998:Abbreviated Injury Scale; D000059:Accidents / Q000401:mortality*; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*