Increased hospital morbidity among trauma patients with diabetes mellitus compared with age- and injury severity score-matched control subjects.
OBJECTIVE
We hypothesized that patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have worse outcomes following trauma compared with patients without a history of DM.


METHODS
Retrospective data analysis of the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation database that compiles data from 27 accredited trauma centers in Pennsylvania.


METHODS
We used the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation database of 295 561 patients to compare outcomes in patients with DM vs those in patients who did not have DM.


METHODS
A total of 12 489 patients with DM from January 1984 to December 2002 were matched by sex, age, and Injury Severity Score with 12 489 patients who did not have DM.


METHODS
Differences in the length of hospital stay, intensive care unit stay, ventilatory assistance days, complications, and mortality rates.


RESULTS
Patients with DM spent more days in the intensive care unit and receiving ventilator support. They were more likely to have a complication (23.0% in the DM group vs 14.0% in the non-DM group [odds ratio, 1.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.69-1.92]). No difference in mortality rates or length of hospital stay was noted.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with DM exposed to trauma have greater hospital morbidity resulting from longer intensive care unit stay, increased ventilator support, and more complications.
Ahmad
Rehan
R
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.
Cherry
Robert A
RA
Lendel
Irina
I
Mauger
David T
DT
Service
Sara L
SL
Texter
Lindsay J
LJ
Gabbay
Robert A
RA
D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003422:Critical Care; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy