+441518081136Research Article - Journal of Trauma and Critical Care (2017) Volume 1, Issue 1
Analysis of trauma patients treated at a Brazilian university hospital during 'the Golden Hour'.
Introduction and objectives: To evaluate the impact of the "Golden Hour" in the morbidity and mortality of trauma patients treated at a Brazilian university hospital. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study involving 604 trauma patients admitted to the emergency service from December 2013 to February 2014. Data were collected through questionnaires filled by researchers at emergency room associated with pre hospital care information. Gender, age, type of injury, Revised Trauma Score (RTS), hospitalization time and mortality related to the time between the traumatic event and the admittance to the emergency department were analyzed. Results: Most patients were male (67.7%), the mean age being 36.7 years. Blunt traumas accounted for 93.5% of the admissions. The most frequently used transport was Integrated Service Trauma Care Emergency (SIATE - 62.58%), followed by Mobile Emergency Service (SAMU ? 25.33%). The mean RTS was 7.72 (ranging from 0.00 to 7.84). Deaths amounted to 10 (1.65%) and the average length of hospitalization was 2.23 days (ranging from 0 to 140 days). The mean time between the traumatic event and the arrival at the hospital was 57 minutes (minimum of 11 minutes and maximum of 22 hours). The majority of patients (75.16%) arrived within 1 hour at the emergency room. In this group, the mortality rate was 1.54%, the average length of stay amounted to 1.98 days and the mean RTS was 7.74. Patients admitted after the ?Golden Hour? (24.84%) achieved a mortality rate of 2.0%, an average hospitalization time of 2.97 days and mean RTS of 7.69. Conclusion: Most patients treated in this emergency room were young males, victims of blunt trauma, brought by SIATE and admitted within the "Golden Hour" of trauma. Patients admitted within the aforementioned period had, in this study, a tendency towards lower lengths of hospitalization, higher RTS and superior survival rates.
Author(s): Daniel Augusto Mauad Lacerda, Bruno Durante Alvarez, Danilo Mardegam Razente, Karin Aparecida Becker, Joao Marcio Dos Santos Biscardi, Luiz Carlos Von Bahten