Full-Time Orthopedic Traumatologists Enhance Rural Trauma Center Pelvic Fracture Outcomes and Financials

We hypothesized that full-time orthopedic traumatologists would increase interfacility transfer patients with pelvic ring injuries at a trauma center seeking American College of Surgeons Level I verification. A trauma registry query identified 790 patients with pelvic ring injuries admitted to a tra...

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Veröffentlicht in:The American surgeon 2011-06, Vol.77 (6), p.716-719
Hauptverfasser: TESTERMAN, George M, HARRIS, Robert M, WEST, Michael, EASPARAM, Sarah, III, M. S
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:We hypothesized that full-time orthopedic traumatologists would increase interfacility transfer patients with pelvic ring injuries at a trauma center seeking American College of Surgeons Level I verification. A trauma registry query identified 790 patients with pelvic ring injuries admitted to a trauma service over 10 years. The study groups included 173 patients 3 years before and 405 patients 3 years after recruitment of two full-time orthopedic traumatologists. Interfacility transfers of patients with pelvic ring injuries requiring operative procedures were increased over 230 per cent (P < 0.01) with full-time orthopedic traumatologists. Financial analysis showed enhanced hospital margin per patient and decreased direct costs (P < 0.01). Complications, mortality rates, and length of stay were decreased (P < 0.01). Full-time orthopedic traumatologists enhance pelvic ring injury patient interfacility transfers, operative procedures, outcomes, and financials at a Level I trauma center in a rural setting.
ISSN:0003-1348
1555-9823
DOI:10.1177/000313481107700626