Characteristics of patients with different injury severity
| Variable | Total sample | ISS 1–8 | ISS 9–15 | ISS ≥16 |
| n (% total population) | 193 290 (–) | 45 757 (23.6) | 89 129 (46.1) | 58 404 (30.2) |
| Age, median (IQR) | 60 (41.2–78.8) | 63.2 (41.8–81.1) | 60.7 (44.9–78.3) | 55.1 (35.4–77.0) |
| Sex (male), n (%) | 110 030 (56.9) | 23 926 (52.3) | 46 417 (52.1) | 39 687 (67.9) |
| Blunt trauma, n (%) | 186 435 (96.5) | 44 523 (97.3) | 85 385 (95.8) | 56 527 (96.8) |
| Mechanism of injury, n (%) | ||||
| Fall <2 m | 100 780 (52.1) | 25 295 (55.3) | 54 199 (60.8) | 21 286 (36.4) |
| Fall >2 m | 27 315 (14.1) | 6854 (15.0) | 9672 (10.9) | 10 789 (18.5) |
| Assault | 4801 (2.5) | 678 (1.5) | 2654 (3.0) | 1469 (2.5) |
| RTC | 42 853 (22.2) | 8412 (18.4) | 16 365 (18.4) | 18 076 (30.9) |
| Other | 17 541 (9.1) | 4518 (9.9) | 6239 (7.0) | 6784 (11.6) |
| ISS, median (IQR) | 9 (9–16) | 4 (4–4) | 9 (9–9) | 22 (17–26) |
| Location of injury, n (%) | ||||
| AIS head ≥3 | 22.6 (22.4–22.7) | – | 6013 (6.7%) | 37 660 (64.5%) |
| AIS face ≥3 | 0.4 (0.37–0.43) | – | 141 (0.2%) | 626 (1.1%) |
| AIS thorax ≥3 | 18.2 (18.0–18.4) | – | 15 120 (17.0%) | 20 016 (34.3%) |
| AIS abdomen ≥3 | 3.2 (3.1–3.3) | – | 1904 (2.1%) | 4337 (7.4%) |
| AIS spine ≥3 | 7.3 (7.2–7.4) | – | 9114 (10.2%) | 5075 (8.7%) |
| AIS limb ≥3 | 33.2 (33.1–33.5) | – | 54 298 (60.9%) | 9992 (17.1%) |
| AIS other ≥3 | 0.8 (0.7–0.8) | – | 351 (0.4%) | 1202 (2.1%) |
| 30-day mortality, % (n) | 7.3% (14 100) | 2.2% (1000) | 3.2% (2882) | 17.5% (10 218) |
| Life-saving interventions, n (%) | ||||
| Any | 29 117 (15.1) | 2439 (5.3) | 7848 (8.8) | 18 830 (32.2) |
| Restrictive definition* | 19 288 (10.0) | 803 (1.8) | 3775 (4.2) | 14 710 (25.2) |
| Intubation/ventilation | 6218 (3.2) | 173 (0.4) | 699 (0.8) | 5346 (9.2) |
| Thoracostomy | 1043 (0.5) | 9 (0.0) | 162 (0.2) | 872 (1.5) |
| IO access | 128 (0.1) | 8 (0.0) | 26 (0.0) | 94 (0.2) |
| ALS | 1447 (0.7) | 42 (0.1) | 177 (0.2) | 1228 (2.1) |
| Direct compression of haemorrhage | 379 (0.2) | 34 (0.1) | 155 (0.2) | 190 (0.3) |
| Pelvic binder | 2026 (1.0) | 170 (0.4) | 461 (0.5) | 1395 (2.4) |
| Tranexamic acid | 6775 (3.5) | 457 (1.0) | 1774 (2.0) | 4544 (7.8) |
| Laparotomy | 4086 (2.1) | 462 (1.0) | 1386 (1.6) | 2238 (3.8) |
| Thoracotomy | 2110 (1.1) | 41 (0.1) | 806 (0.9) | 1263 (2.2) |
| Proximal vascular control | 505 (0.3) | 30 (0.1) | 286 (0.3) | 189 (0.3) |
| Embolisation | 327 (0.2) | 21 (0.0) | 56 (0.1) | 250 (0.4) |
| Neurosurgery | 5986 (3.1) | 10 (0.0) | 107 (0.1) | 5869 (10.0) |
| Spinal nursing | 4436 (2.3) | 992 (2.1) | 2053 (2.3) | 1391 (2.4) |
| Anticonvulsant | 690 (0.4) | 64 (0.1) | 178 (0.2) | 448 (0.8) |
| Correction of hypoglycaemia | 131 (0.1) | 24 (0.1) | 45 (0.1) | 62 (0.1) |
| Rewarming | 977 (0.5) | 62 (0.1) | 266 (0.3) | 649 (1.1) |
| >4 units blood transfusion | 4348 (2.2) | 121 (0.3) | 854 (1.0) | 3373 (5.8) |
*Restrictive definition: advanced airway management, mechanical ventilation, ALS, transfusion ≥4 units of blood, urgent non-orthopaedic surgical or radiological interventions (thoracotomy, laparotomy, neurosurgery, haemorrhage control).
AIS, Abbreviated Injury Scale; ALS, Advanced Life Support; IO, intraosseous; ISS, Injury Severity Score; RTC, Road Traffic Collision.