@article{ref1,
title="The epidemiology of serious and fatal injury in San Diego County over an 11-year period",
journal="Journal of trauma",
year="2004",
author="Potenza, Bruce M. and Hoyt, David B. and Coimbra, Raul and Fortlage, D. and Holbrook, T. and Hollingsworth-Fridlund, P.",
volume="56",
number="1",
pages="68-75",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Analysis of the mechanism and severity of injury over time may permit a more focused planning of acute care and trauma prevention programs. METHODS: A retrospective, population-based study examining severe traumatic injury in a single county was undertaken. Three overlapping data sets were used to form a composite injury data set. RESULTS: There were 55,664 patients included in the study. A total of 40,897 (73.5%) patients survived and 14,767 (26.5%) died. Of those patients who died, 8,910 (60.3%) died in the field and were not transported to a trauma center. There was an increase in the mean age of all trauma victims (3 years) and an increase of 5 years in fatally injured patients. The mean Injury Severity Score decreased from 14.7 to 11.6 (p < 0.01); however, Injury Severity Score for fatal patients remained constant (39.7). The overall injury rate remained unchanged (195 per 10(5)), whereas the fatal injury rate decreased by 22% (45.9 per 10(5)) over the 11-year study period. The leading cause of injury was motor vehicle crash, followed by assault. The leading cause of fatal injury was suicide, followed by homicide. CONCLUSION: A combination of three independent injury data sources generated a composite data set of serious and fatal injury. This regional injury analysis was the most comprehensive overview of injury in our region. Important observations included the following: there has been no change in the overall incidence of severe injury within our county; the incidence of fatal traumatic injury has significantly decreased; the leading causes of nonfatal injury do not correlate with the rank order of fatal injury; intentional injury was the leading cause of injury deaths; and scene fatalities represent a poorly studied group of patients who may benefit from primary prevention and injury control research.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-5282",
doi="10.1097/01.TA.0000101490.32972.9F",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.TA.0000101490.32972.9F"
}