The “mortality ascent”: Hourly risk of death for hemodynamically unstable trauma patients at Level II versus Level I trauma centers

Authors

Juan Pablo Herrera-Escobar, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Arturo J. Rios-Diaz, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Cheryl K. Zogg, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Lindsey L. Wolf, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Alyssa Harlow, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Eric B Schneider, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Zara Cooper, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Carlos Alberto Ordonez, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
Ali Salim, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Adil H. Haider, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, BostonFollow

Document Type

Article

Department

General Surgery

Abstract

Background: Severely injured trauma patients have higher in-hospital mortality at Level II versus Level I trauma centers (TCs). To better understand these differences, we sought to determine if there were any periods during which hemodynamically unstable trauma patients are at higher risk of death at Level II versus Level I TCs within the first 24 hours postadmission.
Study design: Trauma patients aged 18 years to 64 years, with Injury Severity Score of 15 or greater, systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg at admission, and treated at Level II or Level I TCs, were identified using the 2007 to 2012 National Trauma Data Bank. Burn patients, transfers, and patients dead on arrival were excluded. Log-binomial regression models, adjusted for patient- and hospital-level confounders, were used to compare mortality at Level II versus Level I TCs over the first 24 hours postadmission.
Results: Of 13,846 hemodynamically unstable patients, 4,212 (30.4%) were treated at 149 Level II TCs, and 9,634 (69.6%) at 116 Level I TCs. Within the first 24 hours, 3,059 (22.1%) patients died. In risk-adjusted models, mortality risk was significantly elevated at Level II versus Level I TCs during the 24 hours postadmission (relative risk, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.16). Hourly mortality risk was significantly different between Level II and Level I TCs during 4 hours to 7 hours postadmission, with a maximal difference at 7 hours (relative risk, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-2.36) and comparable mortality risk beyond 7 hours postadmission.
Conclusion: The 4-hour to 7-hour time window postadmission is critical for hemodynamically unstable trauma patients. Variations in available treatment modalities may account for higher relative mortality at Level II TCs during this time. Further investigation to elucidate specific risk factors for mortality during this period may lead to reductions in in-hospital mortality among hemodynamically unstable trauma patients.
Level of evidence: Therapeutic/care management, level IV.

Comments

This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University

Publication (Name of Journal)

Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery

Recommended Citation

Herrera-Escobar, J. P., Rios-Diaz, A. J., Zogg, C. K., Wolf, L. L., Harlow, A., Schneider, E., Cooper, Z., Ordonez, C. A., Salim, A., Haider, A. H. (2018). The “mortality ascent”: Hourly risk of death for hemodynamically unstable trauma patients at Level II versus Level I trauma centers. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 84(1), 139-145.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_surg_gen/366