Objective: Trauma is a significant public health issue with sociocultural and economic consequences that affect mortality and morbidity, resulting from both primary damage caused by direct impact and secondary damage. The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting mortality and morbidity in trauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Methods: Demographic data on patients admitted to the ICU due to trauma between 2019 and 2021 were collected for the present study. Variables such as the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), and Glasgow Coma scale (GCS) scores, as well as the trauma score-injury severity score (TRISS), injury severity score (ISS), and revised trauma score (RTS), scores were recorded. Additionally, the use of vasopressors, development of renal failure, need for dialysis, and requirement for mechanical ventilation (MV) were documented for statistical analysis.
Results: The study included 194 trauma patients. The mean age ± standard deviation of the patients was 37.20±16.32 years. The most common cause of injury was traffic accidents (34.5%), with the head-neck region being the most frequently injured area (39.2%). The median length of stay in the ICU was 3 days (0-73), and the median number of days on MV was 0.25 days (0-73). Vasopressor medication was used in 34.5% of the patients, MV was required in 53.1%, septic shock was present in 4.1%, renal failure in 3.1%, hemodialysis was needed in 1.5%, and 51.5% required blood product replacement. Decreased GCS and TRISS scores and increased APACHE II, SOFA, and ISS scores were associated with increased mortality and prolonged ICU and MV days.
Conclusion: The results of our study showed that APACHE II and ISS scores were more sensitive than TRISS, SOFA, GCS, and RTS in predicting mortality in trauma patients, but the TRISS score was more reliable in predicting mortality.