title: Epidemiology of trauma in an acute care hospital in Singapore.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Trauma injury is the leading cause of mortality and hospitalization worldwide and the leading cause of potential years of productive life lost. Patients with multiple injuries are prevalent, increasing the complexity of trauma care and treatment. Better understanding of the nature of trauma risk and outcome could lead to more effective prevention and treatment strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of 1178 trauma patients with Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 9, who were admitted to the Acute and Emergency Care of an acute care hospital between January 2011 and December 2012. The statistical analysis included calculation of percentages and proportions and application of test of significance using Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test where appropriate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the study period, 1178 patients were evaluated, 815 (69.2%) males and 363 (30.8%) females. The mean age of patients was 52.08 ± 21.83 (range 5-100) years. Falls (604; 51.3%) and road traffic accidents (465; 39.5%) were the two most common mechanisms of injury. Based on the three most common mechanisms of injury, i.e. fall on the same level, fall from height, and road traffic accident, the head region (484; 45.40%) was the most commonly injured in the body, followed by lower limbs (377; 35.37%) and thorax (299; 28.05%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fall was the leading cause of injury among the elderly population with road traffic injuries being the leading cause among the younger group. There is a need to address the issues of injury control and prevention in these areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, Singapore 768828, Singapore.
authors.forename: Lim Woan
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Wui
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, Singapore 768828, Singapore.
authors.forename: Goh E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Shaun
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, Singapore 768828, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ganesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramalingam
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, Singapore 768828, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kenneth Mak Seek
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Wai
keywords: Falls; injury mechanisms; road traffic accidents; trauma
references.citation: J Trauma. 1995 Feb;38(2):185-93
references.pmid: 7869433
references.citation: Arch Emerg Med. 1993 Mar;10(1):15-23
references.pmid: 8452608
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2007 Sep 17;7:246
references.pmid: 17875213
references.citation: Singapore Med J. 2002 Nov;43(11):566-9
references.pmid: 12680525
references.citation: J Trauma. 2006 Feb;60(2):268-73
references.pmid: 16508481
references.citation: Bull World Health Organ. 1999;77(12):955-64
references.pmid: 10680242
references.citation: Arch Surg. 1993 May;128(5):571-5
references.pmid: 8489391
references.citation: Ann Ital Chir. 2006 Mar-Apr;77(2):97-106
references.pmid: 17147081
references.citation: PLoS Med. 2006 Nov;3(11):e442
references.pmid: 17132052
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2005 Jan 28;5:11
references.pmid: 15679887
references.citation: Am J Surg. 2005 May;189(5):571-5; discussion 576
references.pmid: 15862498
references.citation: J Trauma. 2001 Jan;50(1):116-9
references.pmid: 11231681
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2009 Jul 10;9:226
references.pmid: 19591670
references.citation: Am J Surg. 2008 Dec;196(6):813-9; discussion 819-20
references.pmid: 19095094
references.citation: Med Sci Law. 2004 Jul;44(3):201-6
references.pmid: 15296242
references.citation: Injury. 2011 Jan;42(1):90-6
references.pmid: 20851394
references.citation: Injury. 2001 Oct;32(8):613-7
references.pmid: 11587698
references.citation: J Trauma. 2000 Mar;48(3):503-7
references.pmid: 10744293
references.citation: Unfallchirurg. 1995 Dec;98(12):609-13
references.pmid: 8584940
references.citation: J Trauma Manag Outcomes. 2012 Feb 09;6(1):1
references.pmid: 22321248
references.citation: Asia Pac J Public Health. 1990;4(1):34-8
references.pmid: 2223275