Comparative Outcomes for Trauma Patients in Prison and the General Population

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Public Health
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Prisoners represent a vulnerable population with limited research on trauma outcomes.
• Contemporary studies on trauma patient outcomes in correctional facilities are scarce.
• Evaluating healthcare disparities in trauma care for incarcerated individuals is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a descriptive analysis of trauma patients within the prison population.
• To assess for the existence of healthcare disparities in trauma care.
• To compare mortality and in-hospital complication risks between prisoner and non-prisoner trauma patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (2015-2016) database.
• Identified trauma patients based on location (inside or outside prison) at injury.
• Performed multivariable logistic regression to compare mortality risk between groups.

Main Results:

• Analyzed 593,818 trauma patients, with 1115 identified as prisoners.
• Prisoner trauma patients showed no significant difference in mortality (5.1% vs 6.0%).
• Prisoners had shorter lengths of stay (LOS) and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, with fewer complications like drug/alcohol withdrawal, pneumonia, and UTIs.

Conclusions:

• Prisoner trauma patients receive equivalent treatment regarding mortality.
• Incarcerated individuals may experience better outcomes for certain complications post-trauma.
• Further prospective research is warranted to validate findings and explore influencing factors.