The Relationship Between an Individual's Birthday and Admission for Traumatic Injury

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Trauma surgery
• Public health

Background:

• Birthdays are often associated with adverse medical events.
• This study is the first to investigate the link between birthdays and trauma team evaluations.
• Understanding these associations can inform preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between birthdays and in-hospital trauma team evaluations.
• To identify age-specific patterns in trauma incidence around birthdays.
• To determine patient-level predictors of trauma evaluation on birthdays.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of trauma registry data from 2011-2021.
• Inclusion of patients aged 19-89 years evaluated by trauma services.
• Statistical analysis using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and risk ratios.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between birthdays and trauma evaluations (IRR: 1.78 on birthday, 1.21 within ±3 days).
• Younger adults (19-36 years) showed the highest IRR (2.30) on their birthday.
• Older adults (>65 years) had a higher incidence within ±3 days (IRR: 1.34).
• Ethanol presence was a significant predictor (risk ratio: 1.83).

Conclusions:

• A group-dependent association exists between birthdays and trauma evaluations.
• The youngest age group experiences the highest risk on their birthday, while the oldest group shows increased risk around their birthday.
• Alcohol presence is the strongest patient-level predictor for trauma evaluation.