Trauma recidivists: surprisingly better outcomes than initially injured trauma patients.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in hospital outcomes between trauma recidivists (RCID) and nonrecidivists (NRCID).


METHODS
Outcomes of RCID and NRCID were compared. A recidivist was defined as a patient with a history of hospital evaluation for injury within the prior 5 years. Patients with good functional status had a Glasgow Outcome Score of 4 to 5.


RESULTS
Of the 2,127 patients admitted, 466 (22%) were RCID. NRCID were more likely to have Injury Severity Score >25 (12% vs 8.6%; P = .04) than RCID. Eighty-eight percent of RCID were discharged with a good functional status compared with 83% of RCID (P = .02). NRCID were more likely to be admitted to a critical care unit (43% vs 36%; P = .01), but there was no significant difference in hospital mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
RCID were less severely injured and had better hospital outcomes than NRCID.
MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Shanteria D
SD
Dixon
MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA. Electronic address: jjc0965@aol.com.
John J
JJ
Como
MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Aman
A
Banerjee
MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Jeffrey A
JA
Claridge
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
Interpersonal violence; Trauma outcomes; Trauma recidivism