J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2015 Aug;79(2):227-31. PMID: 26218690
RESULTS: In 3,733 consecutive trauma activations (71% blunt, 25% penetrating, 4% burns), age was 39 years, 74% were male, Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 5, and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was 15, with 32% traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 7% overall mortality. Those who received PHI (n = 130, 3.5% of the trauma activations) were more severely injured: ISS (26 vs. 5), GCS (3 vs. 15), TBI (57% vs. 31%), Revised Trauma Score (RTS, 5.45 vs. 7.84), Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS, 1.32 vs. 4.89), and mortality (56% vs. 5%) were different (all p < 0.05) than those who received no PHI. Air crews transported 22% of the patients; more had TBI, blunt injury, high ISS, and long prehospital times (all p < 0.05), but mortality was similar to those transported by ground. In the most severely injured patients with signs of life who received a PHI, the ISS, prehospital times, and proportions of TBI, blunt trauma, and air transport were similar, but mortality was significantly lower (43% vs. 23%, p= 0.021).
CONCLUSION: In our urban trauma system, PHIs are associated with a lower incidence of mortality in severely injured trauma patients and do not delay transport to definitive care.