title: Epidemiology of major injury in the population of Friuli Venezia Giulia-Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide reliable and comparable information on major injury (MIJ) (Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 15) by establishing a comprehensive and Utstein-style compliant registry of all occurrences in a defined geographical area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, population-based, 12-month study targeting the 1,200,000 inhabitants of the Italian region Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG). Deliberate self-harm was excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total number of MIJ cases was 627, the resulting incidence 522 per million per year. Trauma was mostly blunt (98.4%). Young (15-44 years) adults (54.8%) and males (78.6%) were most affected. Leading mechanisms of injury were traffic accidents (81%) and falls (9.1%). Most events occurred in rural (80.9%) areas despite one third of the regional population living in major urban centres. Summer and weekends carried the highest frequency. The mean ISS ( n = 455 ) was 30.0, median 25. On-scene vital parameters were often subnormal, e.g. 53.9%, GCS < 14. The Emergency Medical System was nearly always activated (98.4%). The time intervals were within standards although in part susceptible of improvement. The percentage of direct triage to the definitive hospital was 79.8%. Overall mortality was 45.6% or 238 per million per year. Most fatalities were found already dead (171/300) and no trimodal distribution was verified. Only 1.5% of the patients found alive died outside hospital. Mean GOS was 4.4 +/- 1 (S.D.), median 5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A considerable amount of information on MIJ in FVG has been gathered, of both local and general interest because it can help to assess the local trauma system and also, given the relative scarcity of prospective, population-based information on MIJ, contribute to scientific research.
authors.affiliation: Italian Resuscitation Council, Trauma Committee, c/o ICU 2nd Service, Az. Osp. SM della Misericordia, 33100 Udine, Italy. dibartolomeo.stefano@aoud.sanita.fvg.it
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Bartolomeo
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanson
authors.forename: Vanni
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Michelutto
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Burba
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Francescutti
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lattuada
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology