Citation

Báez AA, Lane PL, Sorondo B. J. Trauma 2003; 54(2): 344-351.

Affiliation

Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. baez.amado@mayo.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/01.TA.0000046258.81127.E1

PMID

12579063

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers are the initial link to a trauma care system. Previous studies have demonstrated poor compliance with trauma triage by EMS personnel. We sought to determine the proportion of adult EMS cases within a large state meeting Trauma Triage Criteria (TTC) who are ultimately cared for in trauma centers. METHODS: Merged EMS and hospital discharge records for 1996 were examined. All adult acute trauma cases were included. Single-system burns and late effects of injury were excluded. RESULTS: Nine thousand one hundred seventy-four adult cases had at least one TTC, and 60.1% of these patients were transported to a non-trauma center (NTC) and 74.6% of cases with an Injury Severity Score > 15 and one TTC were taken to trauma centers. Analyzing two large urban counties, 58.2% and 27.0% of all TTC cases were still taken to NTC hospitals. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of seriously injured patients meeting TTC were transported by EMS personnel to NTCs.

Language: en