Citation

Nathens AB, Jurkovich GJ, Maier RV, Grossman DC, MacKenzie EJ, Moore M, Rivara FP. J. Am. Med. Assoc. JAMA 2001; 285(9): 1164-1171.

Affiliation

Harborview Medical Center, Box 359796, 325 Ninth Ave, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA. anathens@u.washington.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, American Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11231745

Abstract

CONTEXT: The premise underlying regionalization of trauma care is that larger volumes of trauma patients cared for in fewer institutions will lead to improved outcomes. However, whether a relationship exists between institutional volume and trauma outcomes remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between trauma center volume and outcomes of trauma patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Thirty-one academic level I or level II trauma centers across the United States participating in the University Healthsystem Consortium Trauma Benchmarking Study. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients with penetrating abdominal injury (PAI; n = 478) discharged between November 1, 1997, and July 31, 1998, or with multisystem blunt trauma (minimum of head injury and lower-extremity long-bone fractures; n = 541) discharged between June 1 and December 31, 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inpatient mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS), comparing high-volume (>650 trauma admissions/y) and low-volume (