Association between the time to definitive care and trauma patient outcomes: every minute in the golden hour matters

Purpose This study examined the association between lapsed time and trauma patients, suggesting that a shorter time to definitive care leads to a better outcome. Methods We used the Pan-Asian Trauma Outcome Study registry to analyze a retrospective cohort of 963 trauma patients who received surgical intervention or transarterial embolization within 2 h of injury in Asian countries between January 2016 and December 2020. Exposure measurement was recorded every 30 min from injury to definitive care. The 30 day mortality rate and functional outcome were studied using the Modified Rankin Scale ratings of 0–3 vs 4–6 for favorable vs poor functional outcomes, respectively. Subgroup analyses of different injury severities and patterns were performed. Results The mean time from injury to definitive care was 1.28 ± 0.69 h, with cases categorized into the following subgroups: