Insurance status is a potent predictor of outcomes in both blunt and penetrating trauma.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2010
Identifier
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2009.11.005
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with penetrating injuries are known to have worse outcomes than those with blunt trauma. We hypothesize that within each injury mechanism there should be no outcome difference between insured and uninsured patients.
METHODS: The National Trauma Data Bank version 7 was analyzed. Patients aged 65 years and older and burn patients were excluded. The insurance status was categorized as insured (private, government/military, or Medicaid) and uninsured. Multivariate analysis adjusted for insurance status, mechanism of injury, age, race, sex, injury severity score, shock, head injury, extremity injury, teaching hospital status, and year.
RESULTS: A total of 1,203,243 patients were analyzed, with a mortality rate of 3.7%. The death rate was significantly higher in penetrating trauma patients versus blunt trauma patients (7.9% vs 3.0%; P < .001), and higher in the uninsured (5.3% vs 3.2%; P < .001). On multivariate analysis, uninsured patients had an increased odds of death than insured patients, in both penetrating and blunt trauma patients. Penetrating trauma patients with insurance still had a greater risk of death than blunt trauma patients without insurance.
CONCLUSIONS: Insurance status is a potent predictor of outcome in both penetrating and blunt trauma.
Journal Title
American journal of surgery
Volume
199
Issue
4
First Page
554
Last Page
557
MeSH Keywords
Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Craniocerebral Trauma; Databases, Factual; Female; Healthcare Disparities; Humans; Infant; Injury Severity Score; Insurance Coverage; Insurance, Health; Length of Stay; Male; Medically Uninsured; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Predictive Value of Tests; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; United States; Wounds, Nonpenetrating; Wounds, Penetrating; Young Adult
Keywords
Health Insurance; Outcomes; Blunt Trauma; Penetrating Trauma
Recommended Citation
Greene, W. R., Oyetunji, T. A., Bowers, U., Haider, A. H., Mellman, T. A., Cornwell, E. E., Siram, S. M., Chang, D. C. Insurance status is a potent predictor of outcomes in both blunt and penetrating trauma. American journal of surgery 199, 554-557 (2010).
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