Halo 194 (Jan 2018)
Major trauma as seen by the Municipal institute for emergency medical care Belgrade
Abstract
Introduction Treating patients suffering from major trauma at the site of the incident represents a professional challenge for emergency medical staff. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of the causes of major trauma treated by the Municipal Institute for Emergency Medical Care Belgrade (EMC). Methods Retrospective analysis of 554 medical reports for patients treated for major trauma by the EMC teams during the period of 01.01.-31.12.2015, classified according to the criteria imposed by the Regulations and parameters for quality control in medical institutions. The descriptive method was used to analyse parameters for patients who had not died at the scene of the incident (n=554): frequency of injury sustained during the day and night shifts, the cause of injury leading to major trauma, the age and sex of the patient. The number of patients who had died at the scene of the incident as a result of major trauma was 184. Results The majority of trauma patients were between 36 and 65 years of age, predominantely male (67.15%); the most common cause of major trauma were traffic accidents (21.66%) and the largest number of trauma incidents happened during the day shift (60.29%). The incidence of major trauma resulting in death at the site of the incident was 24.93%. Conclusion The most common cause of major trauma in patients treated by the Municipal Institute for Emergency Medical Care Belgrade were traffic accidents, which, in turn, necessitates continuing medical education of EMC personnel in accordance to local and international guidelines for prehospital treatment of major trauma.
