Long-term mortality following trauma: 10 year follow-up in a population-based sample of injured adults.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to quantify trauma-related mortality in injured adults over 10 years postinjury.


METHODS
A population-based matched cohort study used linked administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, to identify an inception cohort (1988-1991) of hospitalized trauma cases (ICD-9-CM 800-959.9) aged 18-64 years (n = 18,210) and a matched noninjured comparison group (n = 18,210). Mortality outcomes were obtained by linking the two cohorts with the Manitoba Population Registry for a period of 10 years postinjury.


RESULTS
The adjusted all-cause mortality rate ratio (MRR) was 7.29 (95% CI 4.53-11.74) for the 60 days immediately postinjury. The MRRs ranged between 1.17 and 2.41 for the remainder of the 10 year follow-up period. The index injury was estimated to be responsible for 41% of all recorded deaths in the injured cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Estimates of the total mortality burden, based on the early inpatient period alone, substantially underestimates the true burden from injury.
Cameron
C M
CM
School of Medicine, Griffith University, Logan, Australia. c.cameron@sph.uq.edu.au
Purdie
D M
DM
Kliewer
E V
EV
McClure
R J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008350:Manitoba / Q000453:epidemiology; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality*