Report evaluates trauma centers

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, October 6, 2005

Patients with severe injuries are 20 percent more likely to die if they are taken to a lower-level trauma center than a higher-level one, according to a new study published this month.

The study’s results, based on a national database of 248 trauma centers, suggest that for the most severe cases of trauma – such as a gunshot wound to the chest – it may be worth it for paramedics to spend a few more minutes to get a patient to the best trauma center, said Dr. Demetrios Demetriades, lead author of the study and head of the trauma unit at Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center.

The report by researchers at USC’s Keck School of Medicine reviewed the outcomes of more than 12,250 patients who entered trauma centers at high risk of death or serious disability. It compared level 1 centers, the highest level with the strictest standards, to level 2 centers.

Level 1 trauma hospitals are major regional academic centers that have an operating room staffed 24 hours a day and a surgical intensive care unit, as well as ongoing research and training for surgical residents.

Level 2 trauma centers have less stringent standards and fewer resources.