Changes in the characteristics and incidence of multiple-injury accidents in the Navarre community over a 10-year period
Gradin Purroy C, Belzunegui Otano T
, Bermejo Fraile B, Teijeira R, Fortún Moral M, Reyero Díez D
Affiliation of the authors
Servicio de Urgencias, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. Servicio de Urgencias, Hospital de Navarra, Pamplona. Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pública de Navarra, Spain. Servicio de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. Director del Instituto Navarro de Medicina Legal, Pamplona, Spain. Medico de UVI-Móvil, Servicio Navarro de Salud, Pamplona, Spain.
Gradin Purroy C, Belzunegui Otano T
, Bermejo Fraile B, Teijeira R, Fortún Moral M, Reyero Díez D. Changes in the characteristics and incidence of multiple-injury accidents in the Navarre community over a 10-year period. Emergencias. 2015;27:174-80
Summary
Objective.
To compare morbidity and mortality rates, the epidemiologic profile, and survival of patients with multiple injuries attended by the emergency services in the Navarre autonomous community in Spain in the periods of 2002–2003 and 2010–2012.
Methods.
Observational analysis of 2 cohorts of accident patients with Injury Severity Scores of 15 points or more. Logistic regression was used to identify variables related to mortality.
Results.
A total of 651 patients were attended in the first period; 626 were attended in the second. The annual multiple-injury incidence rate decreased from 58.1 per 100 000 population in the first period to 33.5 per 100 000 population in the second; mortality decreased from 30.3 to 15.3 per 100 000 population. The mean (SD) age was 45
(22) years in the first cohort and 52 (23) years in the second. The gender distribution (75% male) did not change. The percentage injured in traffic accidents decreased from 44% to 24%; the percentage of elderly patients hurt in falls increased from 9% to 26%.
Conclusions.
The problem of the number of young people injured in accidents in our community has been brought under control, but the proportion of older patients injured in falls has risen. This change may slow the effort to improve mortality rates in patients with multiple injuries and it obliges us to introduce measures to prevent falls in the elderly.
