Trauma patient outcomes after the implementation of a trauma admitting service: a pre-post cohort study

Yuyi Feng1, Tom Haig2, Andrew McCombie3

  • 1Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora, Te Toka Tumai, Auckland, New Zealand.

PubMed

Insights

The introduction of a trauma admitting service (TAS) at Christchurch Hospital did not improve major trauma patient outcomes, including mortality and hospital stay. Further research with better resources is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Trauma Care
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Major trauma is a leading cause of death for young adults in New Zealand.
  • Specialized trauma care, including dedicated admitting teams, is associated with improved patient outcomes.
  • Christchurch Hospital implemented a minimally resourced trauma admitting service (TAS) in January 2022.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of a trauma admitting service (TAS) on the outcomes of major trauma patients at Christchurch Hospital.

Main Methods:

  • A pre-post cohort study design was employed.
  • Major trauma patient outcomes were compared one year before and after TAS implementation.
  • Patient characteristics, hospital length of stay (LOS), in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, and tertiary survey completion were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • The study included 773 major trauma patients (356 pre-TAS, 417 post-TAS).
  • No significant differences were observed in hospital LOS (7 vs 8 days), in-hospital mortality (6% vs 7%), 30-day mortality (6% vs 7%), or tertiary survey completion (60% vs 60%) between the pre- and post-TAS groups.
  • Patient characteristics were similar across both cohorts.

Conclusions:

  • The implementation of the TAS at Christchurch Hospital did not result in objective improvements in major trauma patient outcomes.
  • Potential limitations in service coverage and staffing may have affected the TAS's effectiveness.
  • Further investigation with enhanced resources and larger patient cohorts is recommended to fully assess the impact of trauma admitting services.
Abstract

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