TY - JOUR
T1 - Epidemiology of trauma deaths in an urban level-1 trauma center predominantly among African Americans - Implications for prevention
AU - Lyn-Sue, Jerome
AU - Siram, Suryanarayana
AU - Williams, Daniel
AU - Mezghebe, Haile
PY - 2006/12
Y1 - 2006/12
N2 - This is a retrospective review to determine demographics, presentation and injury characteristics of trauma deaths at Howard University Hospital over an 11-year period (1994-2005] and to make recommendations for education and prevention in the community based on our findings. Data was obtained from the Howard University Hospital trauma registry. From the study period 1994-2005, there was a total of 365 trauma deaths. The injuries sustained were mainly intentional, which accounted for almost 75% of cases-the majority of deaths being due to penetrating injuries. There was an almost two-fold increase in trauma deaths on Saturdays compared to the rest of the week. The demographics of our study population were similar to those reported in the trauma literature. These were younger patients and predominantly male. Unique to our population was the overwhelming predominance of African-American patients (90%). With these unique features, injury prevention would be better served focusing on social and community prevention and education rather than the usual methods of blunt-trauma prevention-e.g., pedestrian- and motor-vehicle-oriented policies, which may be more beneficial in other trauma systems.
AB - This is a retrospective review to determine demographics, presentation and injury characteristics of trauma deaths at Howard University Hospital over an 11-year period (1994-2005] and to make recommendations for education and prevention in the community based on our findings. Data was obtained from the Howard University Hospital trauma registry. From the study period 1994-2005, there was a total of 365 trauma deaths. The injuries sustained were mainly intentional, which accounted for almost 75% of cases-the majority of deaths being due to penetrating injuries. There was an almost two-fold increase in trauma deaths on Saturdays compared to the rest of the week. The demographics of our study population were similar to those reported in the trauma literature. These were younger patients and predominantly male. Unique to our population was the overwhelming predominance of African-American patients (90%). With these unique features, injury prevention would be better served focusing on social and community prevention and education rather than the usual methods of blunt-trauma prevention-e.g., pedestrian- and motor-vehicle-oriented policies, which may be more beneficial in other trauma systems.
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M3 - Review article
C2 - 17225838
AN - SCOPUS:33845605855
SN - 0027-9684
VL - 98
SP - 1940
EP - 1944
JO - Journal of the National Medical Association
JF - Journal of the National Medical Association
IS - 12
ER -