Improved Trauma Outcomes in Canada

The Trauma Association of Canada began accrediting trauma centers in 1995. These authors used data from the Canadian National Trauma Registry to determine whether patient outcomes improved from 2006 to 2012.

All adults admitted alive with an injury severity score >12 were included. Mortality was adjusted for age, mechanism of injury, Abbreviated Injury Scale score, type of injury (body region), physiological variables, and initial treatment at a trauma center versus transfer. Data were available for 78,807 patients meeting inclusion criteria.

From 2006 to 2012, risk-adjusted mortality fell significantly from 12.1% to 9.9% and average length of stay (calculated only for survivors) fell from 11.6 to 10.6 days. There was no significant differenc…