[Epidemiological analysis of demographic characteristics and type of injuries in patients with multiple trauma with respect to conclusive treatment outcome].

INTRODUCTION: Multiple trauma is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the population of people under 45 years of age. The consequences of multiple trauma have huge epidemiological, social and economic significance.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the paper was to analyse the conclusive treatment outcome of multiply traumatized patients with respect to their sex, age, injury mechanism and type.
METHOD: This retrospective study included 100 patients with multiple injuries (ISS > 16) treated in the Emergency Room of the Clinical Centre of Serbia in the course of 2004. Clinical, X-ray, laboratory and numerical presentation methods--scores (ISS and GCS) were used to show the injury severity.
RESULTS: Most of the injured were males (80%), and the average age was 40 +/- 20 (5-83). Out of the total number of patients who died, 23 (82%) were males, and 5 (18%) were females. The average age of the patients with fatal outcomes was 48 +/- 21 (8-86). Traffic accidents were the leading cause of injury (59%). The median GCS was 10 +/- 3 (3-15). The average ISS was 30 (20-66) in the surviving patients, and 53 (27-77) in those who died.
CONCLUSION: With respect to sex, in most cases multiple trauma affects males (p < 0.01), with the average age of about 40. With respect to injury mechanism, the main cause of the occurrence of multiple trauma is traffic accidents (p < 0.01). There is a statistically significant difference in the values of GCS and ISS relative to the definitive outcome (p < 0.01). Statistical data processing indicated that there was a statistically significant correlation between mortality and type of injury in a given organic system (p < 0.01), but that there was no statistically significant correlation between mortality and age.