Does the presence of an upper extremity injury affect outcomes after major trauma?

There is a paucity of information about the impact of upper extremity (UE) injuries on patient outcomes, particularly after major trauma.

Data were obtained from a statewide trauma registry. Cases were defined as major trauma cases (Injury Severity Score > 15) with (UE group) and without (no-UE group) an associated upper extremity injury. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of outcome.

Major trauma patients with UE injury were 1.5 times (p = 0.011) more likely than the no-UE group to have a length of stay greater than 7 days. After adjusting for age, mechanism of injury, and Injury Severity Score, UE injury was not an independent predictor of discharge destination.

In major trauma patients, the presence of an upper extremity injury is a significant predictor of length of stay, indicating a greater complexity and cost of care associated with this group of major trauma patients.