A comparison of severely injured trauma patients admitted to level 1 trauma centres in Queensland and Germany

Nijboer, Johanna M. M., Wullschleger, Martin E., Nielsen, Susan E., McNamee, Anitina M., Lefering, Rolf, Ten Duis, Hendrik-Jan and Schuetz, Michael A. (2010) A comparison of severely injured trauma patients admitted to level 1 trauma centres in Queensland and Germany. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 80 3: 145-150.


Author Nijboer, Johanna M. M.
Wullschleger, Martin E.
Nielsen, Susan E.
McNamee, Anitina M.
Lefering, Rolf
Ten Duis, Hendrik-Jan
Schuetz, Michael A.
Title A comparison of severely injured trauma patients admitted to level 1 trauma centres in Queensland and Germany
Journal name ANZ Journal of Surgery  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank C)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2010-03
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2010.05210.x
Volume number 80
Issue number 3
ISSN 1445-1433
1445-2197
Start page 145
End page 150
Total pages 6
Place of publication Richmond, VIC, Australia
Publisher Wiley-Blackwell
Language eng
Formatted abstract Background:  The allocation of a trauma network in Queensland is still in the developmental phase. In a search for indicators to improve trauma care both locally as state-wide, a study was carried out comparing trauma patients in Queensland to trauma patients in Germany, a country with 82.4 million inhabitants and a well-established trauma system.

Methods:  Trauma patients ≥15 years of age, with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 16 admitted to the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) and to the 59 German hospitals participating in the Trauma Registry of the German Society for Trauma Surgery (DGU-G) during the year 2005 were retrospectively identified and analysed.

Results:  Both cohorts are comparable when it comes to demographics and injury mechanism, but differ significantly in other important aspects. Striking is the low number of primary admitted patients in the PAH cohort: 58% versus 83% in the DGU-G cohort. PAH patients were less physiologically deranged and less severely injured: ISS 25.2 ± 9.9 versus 29.9 ± 13.1 (P < 0.001). Subsequently, they less often needed surgery (61% versus 79%), ICU admission (49% versus 92%) and had a lower mortality: 9.8% versus 17.9% of the DGU-G cohort.

Conclusions:  Relevant differences were the low number of primary admissions, the lesser severity of injuries, and the low mortality of the patients treated at the PAH. These differences are likely to be interrelated and Queensland's size and suboptimal organization of trauma care may have played an important role.
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Provisional Code
Institutional Status Non-UQ

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Article
Collections: ERA 2012 Admin Only
School of Medicine Publications
 
Versions
Version Filter Type
Citation counts: TR Web of Science Citation Count  Cited 2 times in Thomson Reuters Web of Science Article | Citations
Scopus Citation Count Cited 2 times in Scopus Article | Citations
Google Scholar Search Google Scholar
Access Statistics: 24 Abstract Views  -  Detailed Statistics
Created: Tue, 01 Nov 2011, 18:17:53 EST by Martin Wullschleger on behalf of Surgery - Royal Brisbane and Women's Hosptial