Affiliation:
1. Accident and Emergency Department, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA, UK
Abstract
Abstract
The need for centralized management of acute trauma was evaluated in a 1-year prospective study in Northern Ireland. All patients with an Injury Severity Score >15 who reached hospital alive were included. The sample population was approximately 1 million people. A total of 239 patients entered the study, of whom 74 died. An audit panel considered that 3–15 per cent of deaths were preventable. There was no significant difference in the preventable mortality rate between any hospital or groups of hospitals. There was a high level of consultant involvement, especially in small hospitals. A system in which patients with acute trauma bypass the nearest hospital to reach a trauma centre may be neither beneficial nor cost-effective in Northern Ireland. Upgrading of the present system with stabilization of the patient and emergency surgery at the nearest hospital before transfer is recommended.
Funder
Department of Health and Social Services, Northern Ireland
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Cited by
17 articles.
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