@article{ref1,
title="Insurance status predicts survival for trauma patients undergoing urgent intervention",
journal="Journal of surgical research",
year="2014",
author="Falor, Annie and Kim, Dennis and Bricker, Scott and Neville, Angela and Bongard, Frederic S. and Putnam, Brant and Plurad, David",
volume="188",
number="1",
pages="238-242",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between insurance status and outcomes for trauma patients presenting without vital signs undergoing urgent intervention. <br><br>MATERIALS AND METHODS: The National Trauma Data Bank was queried for patients presenting with a systolic blood pressure equal to zero and a Glasgow Coma Scale score of three (&quot;clinically dead&quot;), who underwent urgent thoracotomy and-or laparotomy (UTL). Insured patients were compared with uninsured (INS [-]) patients. <br><br>RESULTS: There were 18,171 patients presenting clinically dead having a payment source documented. INS (-) patients were more likely to undergo UTL (5.4% [416-7704] versus 2.7% [285-10,467], 1.481 [1.390-1.577], <0.001). Out of 689 patients who underwent UTL and meeting inclusion criteria, 416 (60.4%) were INS (-). Patients with insurance demonstrated a significantly greater survival (9.9% [27-273] versus 1.7% [7-416], 5.878 [2.596-13.307] P < 0.001). Adjusting for mechanism, race, age, injury severity, and comorbidities, insured status was independently associated with survival. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The presence of health insurance is independently associated with survival in trauma patients presenting with cardiovascular collapse who undergo urgent surgical intervention.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-4804",
doi="10.1016/j.jss.2013.12.003",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2013.12.003"
}