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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Trauma registry plays an important role in a process of health-service improvement. Organization of trauma care in the Caribbean is limited; there is lack of registry and distribution of patients.
OBJECTIVE: This was to compare incidence-trends of patients with trauma-related injury to the Dutch trauma registry for 14 years, since Curacao is part of the Dutch Caribbean.
METHODS: Data of all injured patients admitted to Emergency Department (ED) from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2013, were retrospectively analysed using a prospective trauma registry. Subsequently they were crosschecked with the registry of Central Bureau of Statistics Curacao (CBSC).
RESULTS: In ED 14 886 patients with trauma-related injuries were selected: 9390 M and 5496 F. The incidence per 100 000 inhabitants per year of traffic-related trauma was 529.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 430.9, 628.5); firearm-related 29.2 (95% CI: 18.3, 40.2); stab wound-related 26.4 (95% CI: 18.4, 34.4) and molestation-related 173 (95% CI: 127.5, 218.5). There is an overall decline in incidence through the years. In all trauma-related groups there were significantly more men and people aged between 15-34 years. Hospitalization of traffic-related injury was 22.7%, firearm-related 48.3%, stab wound-related 30.5% and molestation-related 18.9%.
CONCLUSION: Hospitalizations percentages differ. The incidence and trauma mechanism seem age- and gender-related. There is a higher incidence of trauma-related injury, compared Curacao to The Netherlands, but comparable with countries in the region. This study is a start to set up a new trauma registry.
Language: en |