Outcomes of Multi-Trauma Road Traffic Crashes at a Tertiary Hospital in Oman : Does attendance by trauma surgeons versus non-trauma surgeons make a difference?

• Main Authors: Ammar Al-Kashmiri, Sultan Z. Al-Shaqsi, Nada Al-Marhoobi, Mahmood Hasan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sultan Qaboos University 2017-05-01
• Series: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
• Subjects: multiple trauma; resuscitation; patient outcome assessment; surgeons; trauma centers; oman.
• Online Access: https://journals.squ.edu.om/index.php/squmj/article/view/2206
• ISSN: 2075-051X; 2075-0528

Objectives: Trauma surgeons are essential in hospital-based trauma care systems. However, there are limited data regarding the impact of their presence on the outcome of multi-trauma patients. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of multi-trauma road traffic crash (RTC) cases attended by trauma surgeons versus those attended by non-trauma surgeons at a tertiary hospital in Oman. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in December 2015. A previously published cohort of 821 multi-trauma RTC patients admitted between January and December 2011 to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, were reviewed for demographic, injury and hospitalisation data. In-hospital mortality constituted the main outcome, with admission to the intensive care unit, operative management, intubation and length of stay constituting secondary outcomes. Results: A total of 821 multi-trauma RTC cases were identified; of these, 60 (7.3%) were attended by trauma surgeons. There was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups (P = 0.35). However, patients attended by trauma surgeons were significantly more likely to be intubated, admitted to the ICU and undergo operative interventions (P <0.01 each). The average length of hospital stay in both groups was similar (2.6 versus 2.8 days; P = 0.81). Conclusion: No difference in mortality was observed between multi-trauma RTC patients attended by trauma surgeons in comparison to those cared for by non-trauma surgeons at a tertiary centre in Oman.