Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study evaluated all trauma patients who were admitted to intensive care unit in Turku University Central Hospital, Finland in 2000-2004. METHODS: We reviewed details of demographic factors, injury mechanism, treatment details, and the overall recovery of patients after the hospital episode. RESULTS: A total of 427 trauma patients were identified, 66% of these were severely injured (ISS > 15). 79% of patients were men. The median age of 44 years. The most frequent injury type was road traffic accidents, leisure-time accidents and injury mechanism a high-energy blunt trauma. Head injuries were the most frequently diagnosed severe injury and 59% of the patients were multiple traumatized. CONCLUSIONS: Current results suggest that the overall survival of these patients is satisfactory, although, the head and cervical spine injuries are still often related to compromised prognosis. Despite the improvements in morbidity and mortality of these patients during last decades, still almost every tenth of trauma patient treated in the ICU dies to the complications of the injury.