[Admission, initial examination and care of severely injured in Denmark]

The aim of this study was to describe the initial care and management of trauma patients in Denmark.

A questionnaire was sent to all 64 hospitals in Denmark in July 1999. All responded. The questionnaire covered 81 questions.

The number of severely injured patients received by the hospitals was evenly distributed. Nine hospitals received more than 50 severely injured patients/year. Protocols for trauma care were available in 46 hospitals. Monitoring with ECG and pulse oximetry in the emergency room was possible in most hospitals. Most hospitals were also equipped to perform endotracheal intubation, chest tube drainage, surgical airway, and peritoneal lavage. Radiological and clinical laboratory services were available round the clock in most hospitals. Ultrasonography could be performed in 41 and CT in 36 hospitals. Three hospitals did not transfer patients to other facilities. An estimated quarter of the severely traumatised patients are transferred to a hospital with a higher level of trauma treatment.

Many Danish hospitals receive trauma patients. However, a number of hospitals do not have the necessary organisation, clinical capabilities, or resources for trauma care. There is a need for regional and national guidelines for trauma care with recommendations ensuring early recognition of patients who may be sufficiently cared for in the local hospital, and those who require transfer to trauma centres for definitive care.