title: A prehospital shock index for trauma correlates with measures of hospital resource use and mortality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The assessment and treatment of trauma patients begins in the prehospital environment. Studies have validated the shock index as a correlate for mortality and the identification of shock in trauma patients. We investigated the use of the first shock index obtained in the prehospital environment and the first shock index obtained upon arrival in the trauma center as correlates for other outcomes to evaluate its usefulness as a triage tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective review of data from a level I trauma center. Prehospital and trauma center shock indices for 16,269 patients were evaluated as correlates for duration of hospital stay, duration of stay in the intensive care unit, the number of ventilator days, blood product use, and destination of transfer from the trauma center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pearson correlation coefficients revealed that the relationship of prehospital and trauma center shock indices were correlates for duration of hospital stay, duration of stay in the intensive care unit, the number of ventilator days, and blood product use. A chi-square analysis found that shock indices ≥0.9 indicate a higher likelihood of disposition to the intensive care unit, operating room, or death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A prehospital shock index for trauma correlates with measures of hospital resource use and mortality. A prospective study is needed to determine the use of this measure as a triage tool.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL 32209, USA. andrea.mcnab@jax.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McNab
authors.forename: Bracken
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Indermeet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bhullar
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chesire
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kerwin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012769:Shock / Q000401:mortality*; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014218:Triage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult