Outcomes of trauma patients: direct transport versus transfer after stabilisation at another hospital.
BACKGROUND
In this study, we attempted to identify differences in the outcomes of patients with severe trauma who were directly transported to our hospital, and those who were stabilised initially at other hospitals in south-central Taiwan.


METHODS
We performed a prospective observational study to review the records of 231 patients with major trauma (Injury Severity Scores (ISS) >15) who visited our hospital's emergency department from January 2010 to December 2010. Among these patients, 75 were referred from other hospitals. Logistic regression was performed to assess the effects of transfer on mortality.


RESULTS
Patients in the transfer group had a shorter interval between trauma and admission to the first hospital (25.3 min vs. 28.1 min), and the average interval between the two hospital arrivals was 138.3 min. Transfer from another hospital was not significantly correlated with mortality in this study (odds ratio: 1.124, 95% confidence interval: 0.276-4.578).


CONCLUSIONS
In trauma patients with ISS>15, there is no difference in mortality between those transferred from another hospital after initial stabilisation and those who visited our emergency department directly.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Kuang-Yu
KY
Hsiao
Leng-Chieh
LC
Lin
Meng-Hua
MH
Chou
Cheng-Chueh
CC
Chen
Hwa-Chan
HC
Lee
Ning-Ping
NP
Foo
Chi-Jei
CJ
Shiao
I-Chuan
IC
Chen
Cheng-Ting
CT
Hsiao
Kai-Hua
KH
Chen
D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010360:Patient Transfer; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy