Inter-hospital transfer of polytrauma and severe traumatic brain injury patients: Retrospective nationwide cohort study using data from the Swiss Trauma Register

INTRODUCTION: Polytrauma and traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients are among the most vulnerable patients in trauma care and exhibit increased morbidity and mortality. Timely care is essential for their outcome. Severe TBI with initially high scores on the Glasgow Coma (GCS) scores is difficult to recognise on scene and referral to a Major Trauma Center (MTC) might be delayed. Therefore, we examined current referral practice, injury patterns and mortality in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective, nationwide cohort study with Swiss Trauma Register (STR) data between 01/012015 and 31/12/2018. STR includes patients ≥16 years with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15 and/or an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) for head >2. We performed Cox proportional hazard models with injury type as the primary outcome and mortality as the dependent variable. Secondary outcomes were inter-hospital transfer and age. RESULTS: 9,595 patients were included. Mortality was 12%. 2,800 patients suffered from isolated TBI. 69% were men. Median age was 61 years and median ISS 21. Two thirds of TBI patients had a GCS of 13–15 on admission to the Emergency Department (ED). 26% of patients were secondarily transferred to an MTC. Patients with isolated TBI and those aged ≥65 years were transferred more often. Crude analysis showed a significantly elevated hazard for death of 1.48 (95%CI 1.28–1.70) for polytrauma patients with severe TBI and a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.82 (95%CI 1.58–2.09) for isolated severe TBI, compared to polytrauma patients without TBI. Patients directly admitted to the MTC had a significantly elevated HR for death of 1.63 (95%CI 1.40–1.89), compared to those with secondary transfer. CONCLUSIONS: A high initial GCS does not exclude the presence of severe TBI and triage to an MTC should be seriously considered for elderly TBI patients.