Role of interventional radiology in trauma care: retrospective study from single trauma center experience

Although interventional management is now regarded as essential in trauma care, the effect on clinical result remains uncertain. We conducted this retrospective study to figure out the role of interventional management in trauma care.

Medical records of patients enrolled in the trauma database of our trauma center were reviewed for the period of January 2009 to December 2012. During this period, we have evaluated how many interventional procedures were conducted and the clinical effect of interventional procedure on trauma care.

Based on our institutional trauma database, medical records of 2017 patients were reviewed (male/female, 1475:542; mean age, 50.03 years). Their mean injury severity score was approximately 26.28. Among them, 111 patients have been treated with interventional procedure. The number of interventional procedures increased significantly over time, up to 15% (P < .005). During the same period, the overall survival rate did not show significant change. The survival rate of the patients, who have been treated with interventional procedures for traumatic vascular injury, was higher than possibility of survival from trauma injury severity score (86.4% vs 65.59%).

The need for interventional procedure in trauma care is increasing. Although interventional procedure could not affect the overall survival rate in trauma care, it can improve survival rate remarkably in patients with traumatic vascular injury.