Dataset Information

Hospital stay as a proxy indicator for severe injury in earthquakes: a retrospective analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Earthquakes are the most violent type of natural disasters and injuries are the dominant medical problem in the early phases after earthquakes. However, likely because of poor data availability, high-quality research on injuries after earthquakes is lacking. Length of hospital stay (LOS) has been validated as a proxy indicator for injury severity in high-income settings and could potentially be used in retrospective research of injuries after earthquakes. In this study, we assessed LOS as an adequate proxy indicator for severe injury in trauma survivors of an earthquake.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted using a database of 1,878 injured patients from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Our primary outcome was severe injury, defined as a composite measure of serious injury or resource use. Secondary outcomes were serious injury and resource use, analysed separately. Non-parametric receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis was used to test the discriminatory accuracy of LOS when used to identify severe injury. An 0.7ResultsOur study shows that LOS discriminatory accuracy is poor for the primary outcome. However, LOS discriminatory accuracy is adequate for resource use, excluding critical orthopaedic interventions and debridement.

Conclusions

Length of hospital stay was not validated as a proxy indicator for severe injury in earthquake survivors. However, LOS was found to be a proxy for major nonorthopaedic surgery and blood transfusion. These findings can be useful for retrospective research on earthquake-injured patients when detailed hospital records are not available.

SUBMITTER: Zhao LP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3621831 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Hospital stay as a proxy indicator for severe injury in earthquakes: a retrospective analysis.

Zhao Lu-Ping LP Gerdin Martin M Westman Lina L Rodriguez-Llanes Jose Manuel JM Wu Qi Q van den Oever Barbara B Pan Liang L Albela Manuel M Chen Gao G Zhang De-Sheng DS Guha-Sapir Debarati D von Schreeb Johan J

PloS one 20130409 4

<h4>Introduction</h4>Earthquakes are the most violent type of natural disasters and injuries are the dominant medical problem in the early phases after earthquakes. However, likely because of poor data availability, high-quality research on injuries after earthquakes is lacking. Length of hospital stay (LOS) has been validated as a proxy indicator for injury severity in high-income settings and could potentially be used in retrospective research of injuries after earthquakes. In this study, we a ...[more]

PMID: 23585897

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare retrospectively the characteristics of chest injuries and frequencies of other, concurrent injuries in patients after earthquakes of different seismic intensity.MethodsWe compared the cause, type, and body location of chest injuries as well as the frequencies of other, concurrent injuries in patients admitted to our hospital after the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes in Sichuan, China. We explored possible relationships between seismic intensity and the causes and types of injuries, and we assessed the ability of the Injury Severity Score, New Injury Severity Score, and Chest Injury Index to predict respiratory failure in chest injury patients.ResultsThe incidence of chest injuries was 9.9% in the stronger Wenchuan earthquake and 22.2% in the less intensive Lushan earthquake. The most frequent cause of chest injuries in both earthquakes was being accidentally struck. Injuries due to falls were less prevalent in the stronger Wenchuan earthquake, while injuries due to burial were more prevalent. The distribution of types of chest injury did not vary significantly between the two earthquakes, with rib fractures and pulmonary contusions the most frequent types. Spinal and head injuries concurrent with chest injuries were more prevalent in the less violent Lushan earthquake. All three trauma scoring systems showed poor ability to predict respiratory failure in patients with earthquake-related chest injuries.ConclusionsPrevious studies may have underestimated the incidence of chest injury in violent earthquakes. The distributions of types of chest injury did not differ between these two earthquakes of different seismic intensity. Earthquake severity and interval between rescue and treatment may influence the prevalence and types of injuries that co-occur with the chest injury. Trauma evaluation scores on their own are inadequate predictors of respiratory failure in patients with earthquake-related chest injuries.

Project description:ObjectivesDengue imposes substantial economic, societal and personal burden in terms of hospital stay, morbidity and mortality. Early identification of dengue cases with high propensity of increased hospital stay and death could be of value in isolating patients in need of early interventions. The current study was aimed to determine the significant factors associated with dengue-related prolonged hospitalisation and death.DesignCross-sectional retrospective study.SettingTertiary care teaching hospital.ParticipantsPatients with confirmed dengue diagnosis were stratified into two categories on the basis of prolonged hospitalisation (≤3 days and >3 days) and mortality (fatal cases and non-fatal cases). Clinico-laboratory characteristics between these categories were compared by using appropriate statistical methods.ResultsOf 667 patients enrolled, 328 (49.2%) had prolonged hospitalisation. The mean hospital stay was 4.88±2.74 days. Multivariate analysis showed that dengue haemorrhagic fever (OR 2.3), elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (OR 2.3), prolonged prothrombin time (PT) (OR 1.7), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) (OR 1.9) and multiple-organ dysfunctions (OR 2.1) were independently associated with prolonged hospitalisation. Overall case fatality rate was 1.1%. Factors associated with dengue mortality were age >40 years (p=0.004), secondary infection (p=0.040), comorbidities (p<0.05), acute kidney injury (p<0.001), prolonged PT (p=0.022), multiple-organ dysfunctions (p<0.001), haematocrit >20% (p=0.001), rhabdomyolosis (p<0.001) and respiratory failure (p=0.007). Approximately half of the fatal cases in our study had prolonged hospital stay of greater than three days.ConclusionsThe results underscore the high proportion of dengue patients with prolonged hospital stay. Early identification of factors relating to prolonged hospitalisation and death will have obvious advantages in terms of appropriate decisions about treatment and management in high dependency units.

Project description:BackgroundTraumatic brain injury (TBI) remains one of the main causes of mortality and long-term disability worldwide. Maintaining physiology of brain tissue to the greatest extent possible through optimal management of blood pressure, airway, ventilation, and oxygenation, improves patient outcome. We studied the quality of prehospital care in severe TBI patients by analyzing adherence to recommended target ranges for ventilation and blood pressure, prehospital time expenditure, and their effect on mortality, as well as quality of prehospital ventilation assessed by arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2) at hospital admission.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of all TBI patients requiring tracheal intubation on scene who were transported to one of two major level 1 trauma centers in Switzerland between January 2014 and December 2019 by Swiss Air Rescue (Rega). We assessed systolic blood pressure (SBP), end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 (PetCO2), and PaCO2 at hospital admission as well as prehospital and on-scene time. Quality markers of prehospital care (PetCO2, SBP, prehospital times) and prehospital ventilation (PaCO2) are presented as descriptive analysis. Effect on mortality was calculated by multivariable regression analysis and a logistic general additive model.ResultsOf 557 patients after exclusions, 308 were analyzed. Adherence to blood pressure recommendations was 89%. According to PetCO2, 45% were normoventilated, and 29% had a SBP ≥ 90 mm Hg and were normoventilated. Due to the poor correlation between PaCO2 and PetCO2, only 33% were normocapnic at hospital admission. Normocapnia at hospital admission was strongly associated with reduced probability of mortality. Prehospital and on-scene times had no impact on mortality.ConclusionsPaCO2 at hospital admission is strongly associated with mortality risk, but normocapnia is achieved only in a minority of patients. Therefore, the time required for placement of an arterial cannula and prehospital blood gas analysis may be warranted in severe TBI patients requiring on-scene tracheal intubation.

Project description:BackgroundBurns resulting from assaults account for considerable morbidity and mortality among patients with burn injuries around the world. However, it is still unclear whether unfavorable clinical outcomes are associated primarily with the severity of the injuries. To elucidate the direct relationship between burns resulting from assaults and mortality and/or length of hospital stays, we performed this study with the hypothesis that burns from assault would be independently associated with fewer hospital-free days than would burns from other causes, regardless of the severity of burn injuries.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study, using a city-wide burn registry (1996-2017) accounting for 14 burn centers in Tokyo, Japan. Patients who arrived within 24 hours after injury were included, and those with self-inflicted burn injuries were excluded. Patients were divided into two groups according to mechanism of burns (assault vs. accident), and the number of hospital-free days until day 30 after injury (a composite of in-hospital death and hospital length of stay) was compared between the groups. To estimate the probability that an injury would be classified as an assault, we calculated propensity scores, using multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for known outcome predictors. We also performed an inverse probability weighting (IPW) analysis to compare adjusted numbers of hospital-free days.ResultsOf 7419 patients in the registry with burn injuries during the study period, 5119 patients were included in this study. Of these, 113 (2.2%) were injured as a result of assault; they had significantly fewer hospital-free days than did those with burns caused by accident (18 [27] vs. 24 [20] days; coefficient = [Formula: see text]3.4 [[Formula: see text]5.5 to [Formula: see text]1.3] days; p?=?0.001). IPW analyses similarly revealed the independent association between assault burn injury and fewer hospital-free days (adjusted coefficient = [Formula: see text]0.6 [[Formula: see text]1.0 to [Formula: see text]0.1] days; p?=?0.009).ConclusionsBurn from assault was independently associated with fewer hospital-free days, regardless of the severity of burn injuries. The pathophysiological mechanism underlying the relationship should be further studied in a prospective observational study.

Project description:ObjectivesTo understand the incidence, causes, management and outcomes of intentional (assault) and unintentional severe ocular chemical injuries (SOCI) at an urban tertiary referral centre in the UK.DesignRetrospective observational study.SettingA London tertiary referral ophthalmic centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital.ParticipantsAll cases of SOCI presenting between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2014 were identified. The definition of SOCI was grade 3 or 4 on the Hughes-Roper-Hall classification system. We identified 25 cases (6 in 2011-2012, 8 in 2012-2013, 11 in 2013-2014). Median age was 31.1 years. 23 cases (92%) were male.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was the proportion of cases of SOCI caused by assault, per year. Secondary outcome measures included the number of cases of SOCI, injury characteristics and mechanism, initial and long-term management, visual outcome and the need for surgical intervention.ResultsBetween 2011 and 2012, 3/6 cases were due to assault (50%); between 2012 and 2013, 7/8 were due to assault (87.5%); and between 2013 and 2014, 6/11 were due to assault (54.4%). Assault was responsible for 16/25 (64%) cases overall, while 8/25 (32%) cases were work related. The causative agent was known to be alkali in 16/25 (64%), while 10/25 (40%) did not complete the follow-up. The mean number of clock hours of limbal ischaemia was 5.24 (SD 2.97). 17/25 (68%) were Hughes-Roper-Hall grade 3. Surgical intervention occurred in 1/25. The final best-corrected visual acuity was 6/12 or worse in 11/25 (44%) and was counting fingers or worse in 4/25 (16%).ConclusionsPrevious studies found that SOCI had a low incidence and that work-related injuries were the most common cause. Our study demonstrates an increasing incidence of SOCI, which may be accounted for by a rise in assault using corrosive substances. A high number of patients did not attend regularly for follow-up and visual outcomes from these injuries are poor.

Dataset Information

Hospital stay as a proxy indicator for severe injury in earthquakes: a retrospective analysis.

Introduction

Methods

Conclusions

Publications

Hospital stay as a proxy indicator for severe injury in earthquakes: a retrospective analysis.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets