Patients injured in locations with higher median age, lower per capita income and greater distance from Level 1 or 2 trauma centers are more likely to die of their injuries, a study in JAMA Surgery found.
Here are five things to know:
1. This cross-sectional study examined trauma center and emergency medical services data of 16,082 Maryland adults who experienced traumatic injury in 2015, were transported to a designated trauma center, or died while in EMS care at the scene of the incident or in transit.
2. The study found an 8 percent increase in the odds of death for every five mile increase in distance to the nearest trauma center.
3. The study found a 3 percent increase in the odds of death for every five year increase in median neighborhood age.
4. When neighborhood per capita income was greater than $25,000, injury mortality decreased by 27 percent.
5. Of the 16,082 patients included in the study, 8,716 — 52.4 percent — were white, and 5,838 — 38.3 percent — were black. Most patients were male and younger than 65 years.
6. Compared with privately owned Level 1 or 2 centers, odds of death increased by 49.9 percent when the nearest trauma center was Level 3.
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