Ontario trauma centres saving more lives
A new study in CMAJ Open, by Dr. David Gomez, and Sunnybrook researchers, Dr. Avery Nathens and Dr. Homer Tien, shows that the likelihood of death at trauma centres in Ontario decreased between 2005 and 2011. The study also demonstrated that the probability of survival varies significantly across Ontario’s nine adult trauma centres.
The researchers reviewed data from the Ontario Trauma Registry on 26,421 severely injured adults admitted to a trauma centre between 2005 and 2011 and showed that the likelihood of death decreased by 15 percent over this seven year period. Survival rates differed across trauma centres, with a difference in the risk of death of almost 25 percent. These differences were most apparent in older patients or those with severe head injuries.
“It is encouraging to see significant improvements in survival for the most severely injured patients in Ontario,” says Dr. Gomez. “These improvements underscore the value of investing in trauma care within the province. We also explored where there might be differences in survival rates to identify the highest performing centres. We need to understand how these centres provide care so all Ontarians can benefit.
The authors indicate that differences in survival might relate to innovative models of care that have evolved over time, particularly in the highest risk patients.
Full media release
A new study in CMAJ Open, by Dr. David Gomez, and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre researchers, Dr. Avery Nathens and Dr. Homer Tien, shows that the likelihood of death at trauma centres in Ontario decreased between 2005 and 2011. The study also demonstrated that the probability of survival varies significantly across Ontario’s nine adult trauma centres.
The researchers reviewed data from the Ontario Trauma Registry on 26,421 severely injured adults admitted to a trauma centre between 2005 and 2011 and showed that the likelihood of death decreased by 15 percent over this 7 year period. Survival rates differed across trauma centres, with a difference in the risk of death of almost 25 percent. These differences were most apparent in older patients or those with severe head injuries.
“It is encouraging to see significant improvements in survival for the most severely injured patients in Ontario,” says Dr. Gomez. “These improvements underscore the value of investing in trauma care within the province. We also explored where there might be differences in survival rates to identify the highest performing centres. We need to understand how these centres provide care so all Ontarians can benefit.
The authors indicate that differences in survival might relate to innovative models of care that have evolved over time, particularly in the highest risk patients.
Dr. Nathens, trauma surgeon and senior author, states, “Traumatic injuries are a devastating event and a leading cause of death in the province, making these findings highly relevant for all Ontarians. Ultimately, these results suggest that we are making solid advances in trauma care and saving more lives; however, with new technologies and innovative practices, there is always opportunity to do even more for our most severely injured patients. Studies like this demonstrate where we need to focus our efforts.”
The results of the study are published online in CMAJ Open an online open-access journal that comes from the same family as the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).
The paper can be found here: http://www.cmajopen.ca/content/2/3/E176.full.
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Media Contact:
Laura Bristow, Communications Advisor
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 416-480-4040
