Ten-Year Trends in Traumatic Cardiac Injury and Outcomes: A Trauma Registry Analysis

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health Surveillance

Background:

• Traumatic cardiac injury is a critical factor in mortality among trauma patients.
• The Oklahoma Trauma Registry provides a valuable dataset for analyzing injury trends.
• Understanding these trends is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the 10-year trends and outcomes of traumatic cardiac injury in Oklahoma.
• To analyze the characteristics, injury mechanisms, and associated injuries in cardiac trauma patients.
• To compare outcomes based on injury type (blunt vs. penetrating) and management (operative vs. nonoperative).

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Oklahoma Trauma Registry (2005-2014).
• Included patients with major trauma and specific severity criteria.
• Analyzed cardiac injury cases, categorizing them by blunt vs. penetrating and operative vs. nonoperative management.

Main Results:

• Cardiac injury occurred in 426 of 107,549 trauma patients; 160 had penetrating trauma.
• Common associated injuries included rib fractures, pneumothorax, hemothorax, and intra-abdominal injuries.
• Overall mortality was 35.7%, significantly higher in penetrating (51.9%) versus blunt (26.3%) injuries. Operative management correlated with higher mortality.

Conclusions:

• Traumatic cardiac injury, especially penetrating types, remains a significant cause of mortality.
• State-based trauma registries are essential for identifying trends, guiding quality improvement, and informing preventative strategies.