TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2012//
TI  - Multiple blunt trauma after suicidal attempt: an analysis of 4,754 multiple severely injured patients
JO  - European journal of trauma and emergency surgery
A1  - Topp, T.
A1  - Müller, T.
A1  - Kiriazidis, I.
A1  - Lefering, R.
A1  - Ruchholtz, S.
A1  - Kühne, C. A.
SP  - 19
EP  - 24
VL  - 38
IS  - 1
N2  - PURPOSE: The suicidal attempt is a significant cause for multiple severe injuries in Germany. The aim of the present study was to obtain information regarding injury patterns, clinical treatment, and outcome. <br><br>METHODS: We analyzed the data of 4,754 patients of the Trauma Registry of the German Trauma Society (1993-2007) with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥9 after a suicidal jump from a height (SUICIDE) and after an accidental fall from a height (ACCIDENT). <br><br>RESULTS: Comparing the data of 3,682 patients with accidental fall versus those with intentional fall/jump (n = 1,072), we found that male patients were predominant in the ACCIDENT group (84.9 vs. 52.2%). The SUICIDE group had more severe injuries (ISS: 31.8 vs. 26.4). The ACCIDENT group suffered more severe head injuries (51.1 vs. 36.6%). Mortality (21.4 vs. 14.2%), length of stay in hospital (29.5 vs. 26.5 days), and costs (€34,833 vs. €24,701) were higher in the SUICIDE group. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Falls from a height are a common cause of injury among severely injured patients. The resulting trauma composes a particular form of blunt trauma with severe and multiple injuries, which depends on the fact of whether the free fall from a height was caused by an accident or as a result of a suicidal attempt. Taking the injury severity into consideration, there is no difference in the prognosis of the patients.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1863-9933
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00068-011-0114-5
ID  - ref1
ER  -