Shooting and stabbing victims have a better chance of survival if they are driven to a trauma center instead of waiting for an ambulance, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.
The study found patients with penetrating injuries had a 2.2 percent mortality rate when driven to a trauma center by car compared to an 11.6 percent mortality rate for those transported via ambulance. The study's authors analyzed data from the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Databank for patients with gunshot or stab wounds over the age of 16 who were treated at Level I or II trauma centers between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012.
Though he said the results of the study are valuable for policymakers, Richard Alcorta, MD, EMS medical director for the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services, was hesitant to encourage victims to forego ambulances, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Dr. Alcorta said civilians might not be able to immediately provide the immediate care a victim needs on the way to the hospital, and also might not be able to distinguish between a trauma center and an emergency room.
"With a study like this that is speaking to a statistical evaluation of private vehicles versus EMS, they are able to show we are fighting time," Dr. Alcorta said. "We agree. But if people are not given proper care immediately or if the rapid transit doesn't get them to a trauma center, the outcome could be worse…These people need to be in the operating room of a trauma hospital."
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