Trauma management outcomes associated with nonsurgeon versus surgeon trauma team leaders.
OBJECTIVE
We compare the effectiveness of surgeon and nonsurgeon trauma team leaders.


METHODS
This retrospective study was conducted using data from a Canadian trauma registry database. Data from April 1, 1998, to March 31, 2005, from blunt and penetrating trauma patients aged 16 years or older and with trauma team activation (and without major burns) were included. Patient age, sex, trauma team leader (surgeon or nonsurgeon), mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score, survival to 3 hours and to discharge, length of stay in the hospital, and Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) z scores were tabulated.


RESULTS
Data from 807 patients were included. Because of the limited number of penetrating trauma cases, analyses focused on blunt trauma. Surgeon and nonsurgeon trauma team leader groups did not differ on injury severity, age, or sex. No difference was noted in survival to discharge (nonsurgeon 84.8%-surgeon 81.8%=3%; 95% confidence interval [CI] -3.5% to 9.5%), survival to 3 hours (nonsurgeon 96.8%-surgeon 96%=0.8%; 95% CI -2.2% to 3.8%), length of stay (median 13 days for nonsurgeon and 12 days for surgeon groups), or difference between actual and predicted survival (TRISS z scores nonsurgeon 0.64; surgeon 0.99). No trend toward group differences on any outcome variable was observed in penetrating trauma cases.


CONCLUSIONS
No differences were found in the outcome of trauma patients treated by nonsurgeon versus surgeon trauma team leaders. These findings support a more collaborative approach to resuscitative trauma management with involvement of nonsurgeons as trauma team leaders.
Ahmed
Jennifer M
JM
Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Tallon
John M
JM
Petrie
David A
DA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015984:Causality; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009674:Nova Scotia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery