title: Collecting core data in severely injured patients using a consensus trauma template: an international multicentre study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No worldwide, standardised definitions exist for documenting, reporting and comparing data from severely injured trauma patients. This study evaluated the feasibility of collecting the data variables of the international consensus-derived Utstein Trauma Template.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trauma centres from three different continents were invited to submit Utstein Trauma Template core data during a defined period, for up to 50 consecutive trauma patients. Directly admitted patients with a New Injury Severity Score (NISS) equal to or above 16 were included. Main outcome variables were data completeness, data differences and data collection difficulty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Centres from Europe (n = 20), North America (n = 3) and Australia (n = 1) submitted data on 965 patients, of whom 783 were included. Median age was 41 years (interquartile range (IQR) 24 to 60), and 73.1% were male. Median NISS was 27 (IQR 20 to 38), and blunt trauma predominated (91.1%). Of the 36 Utstein variables, 13 (36%) were collected by all participating centres. Eleven (46%) centres applied definitions of the survival outcome variable that were different from those of the template. Seventeen (71%) centres used the recommended version of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). Three variables (age, gender and AIS) were documented in all patients. Completeness > 80% was achieved for 28 variables, and 20 variables were > 90% complete.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Utstein Template was feasible across international trauma centres for the majority of its data variables, with the exception of certain physiological and time variables. Major differences were found in the definition of survival and in AIS coding. The current results give a clear indication of the attainability of information and may serve as a stepping-stone towards creation of a European trauma registry.
authors: Department of Research, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Holterveien 24, N-1440 Drøbak, Norway. kjetil.ringdal@norskluftambulanse.no
authors: Kjetil Gorseth
authors: KG
authors: Ringdal
authors: Hans Morten
authors: HM
authors: Lossius
authors: J Mary
authors: JM
authors: Jones
authors: Jens M
authors: JM
authors: Lauritsen
authors: Timothy J
authors: TJ
authors: Coats
authors: Cameron S
authors: CS
authors: Palmer
authors: Rolf
authors: R
authors: Lefering
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Di Bartolomeo
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Dries
authors: Kjetil
authors: K
authors: Søreide
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D032921:Consensus; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D005060:Europe; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009656:North America; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification*; D055815:Young Adult