Associated variables, causes and time distribution of mortality in thoracic trauma patients

Abstract

Background: Trauma is one of the ten leading causes of death worldwide and the first among the youth. Thoracic trauma (TT) is present in a high percentage of deaths due to trauma and is the second leading cause of death after traumatic brain injury. Aim: To analyze the mortality associated variables, major causes and temporal distribution of mortality among dead hospitalized patients with TT.

Materials and Method: Observational study in hospitalized patients with TT, period January 1981 to December 2018. Review of prospective TT protocols and data base. Major syndromic causes of death were recorded and a logistic regression for variables associated with mortality was made. SPSS25® with chi-quadrat tests was used to compare classification, type of TT and temporal distribution. A p value < 0,05 was considered significant.

Results: Total 4.297 TT and global mortality was 120 (2,8%) cases. The main independent variables associated with mortality were the physiological decline upon admission, massive hemothorax and TT by firearms. The leading cause of death was hypovolemic shock, with significant differences according to the type of TT in the first 4 and 24 hours. In the temporal distribution was observed that, the deaths with penetrating and isolated TT were earlier and that there was no second peak of mortality following the first week.

Conclusions: Independent variables associated with mortality were observed among hospitalized patients with TT, being physiological deterioration the most important factor. Besides, there are significant differences in the death causes and temporal distribution of mortality among the different subgroups of hospitalized patients with TT.