Breast Trauma: A United States-Based Epidemiological Study From 2016 to 2019

Area of Science:

• Trauma surgery
• Emergency medicine
• Clinical research

Background:

• Breast trauma is an under-recognized injury in polytrauma patients.
• Female patients are particularly susceptible to breast trauma.
• Understanding breast injury patterns is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of breast injuries in national trauma data.
• To assess the association between breast injury types and Injury Severity Score (ISS).
• To evaluate the prognostic significance of breast trauma in polytrauma patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) from 2016-2019.
• Analysis of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for breast abrasions, contusions, and open wounds.
• Statistical analysis using Kruskal-Wallis and chi-squared tests.

Main Results:

• Breast abrasions and contusions were linked to higher ICU admission rates (23.8% and 25.3%) versus open wounds (13.6%).
• Patients with abrasions/contusions had significantly higher ISS (9) than those with open wounds (5).
• Mortality rates were elevated for abrasions (15%) and contusions (14%) compared to open wounds (11%).

Conclusions:

• Traumatic breast abrasions and contusions are associated with worse outcomes than open breast wounds.
• These injuries correlate with increased ICU admissions, higher ISS, and greater mortality.
• Breast trauma severity serves as an important prognostic indicator in trauma assessment.