Emergency medical services intervals and survival in trauma: assessment of the "golden hour" in a North American prospective cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Study objective

The first hour after the onset of out-of-hospital traumatic injury is referred to as the "golden hour," yet the relationship between time and outcome remains unclear. We evaluate the association between emergency medical services (EMS) intervals and mortality among trauma patients with field-based physiologic abnormality.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of an out-of-hospital, prospective cohort registry of adult (aged > or =15 years) trauma patients transported by 146 EMS agencies to 51 Level I and II trauma hospitals in 10 sites across North America from December 1, 2005, through March 31, 2007. Inclusion criteria were systolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mm Hg, respiratory rate less than 10 or greater than 29 breaths/min, Glasgow Coma Scal

SUBMITTER: Newgard CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3008652 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature