%0 Journal Article
%T A booming economy means a bursting trauma system: Association between hospital admission for major injury and indicators of economic activity in a large Canadian health region
%J American journal of surgery
%D 2014
%A Roberts, Derek J.
%A Das, Debanjana
%A Mercado, Michelle
%A Vis, Christine
%A Kortbeek, John B.
%A Kirkpatrick, Andrew W.
%A Ball, Chad G.
%V 207
%N 5
%P 653-7; discussion 657
%X BACKGROUND: Injury epidemiology fluctuates with economic activity in many countries. These relationships remain unclear in Canada. METHODS: The annual risk of admission for major injury (Injury Severity Score ≥12) to a high-volume, level-1 Canadian trauma center was compared with indicators of economic activity over a 16-year period using linear regression. RESULTS: An increased risk of injured patient admissions was associated with rising mean gross domestic product (GDP [millions of chained 2002 dollars]) (.36 person increase per 100,000 population/$1,000 increase in GDP; P = .001) and annual gasoline prices (.47 person increase per 100,000 population/cent increase in gasoline price; P = .001). Recreation-related vehicle injuries were also associated with economic affluence. The risk of trauma patient mortality with increasing mean annual GDP (P = .72) and gasoline prices (P = .32) remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Hospital admissions for major injury, but not trauma patient mortality, were associated with economic activity in a large Canadian health care region.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Elsevier Publishing
%@ 0002-9610
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2013.12.011