Objective This study attempted to identify any differences between the outcomes of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who were directly transported to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and those who were stabilised initially at other hospitals in south-central Taiwan.

Methods A retrospective review of the records of 254 patients with isolated severe TBI who visited this hospital's emergency department from July 2003 to June 2008, of whom 167 were referred from other hospitals. Logistic regression was used to assess the effects of transfer and its components on mortality.

Results Transfer from another hospital was not significantly correlated with mortality in this study (OR 0.513, 95% CI 0.240 to 1.097). Moreover, neither intubation (OR 1.356, 95% CI 0.445 to 4.133) nor transfer time over 4 h (OR 0.549, 95% CI 0.119 to 1.744) had a significant effect on mortality.

Conclusion No differences in outcome were found between patients with isolated severe TBI who were directly transported and those transferred to this hospital's emergency room.