A study, published in JAMA Surgery, examined the link between injury scene characteristics — such as distance to trauma care, community income level and median age in neighborhood — and death.
Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study including data from trauma center and emergency medical services provided in Maryland from Jan. 1, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2015. They geocoded the data by injury incident locations and linked it with injury scene characteristics. Data from around 16,082 patients was included in the study, of which 52.4 percent were white, 36.3 percent were African American, 65.8 percent were male and 77 percent were younger than 65 years.
Here are five study findings:
1. The odds of death increased by 8 percent for every 5-mile increase in distance to the nearest trauma center.
2. The odds of death increased by 49.9 percent when the nearest trauma center was a level 3 center.
3. Death risk jumped by 80.7 percent when the nearest trauma center was publicly owned.
4. At the zip code tabulation area level, odds of death increased by 16 percent for every 5-year increase in median age in a neighborhood.
5. Death risk decreased by 26.6 percent when per capita community income was greater than $25,000.
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