Epidemiology, prognostic factors, and outcome of trauma patients admitted in a Brazilian intensive care unit.

Background: Trauma is a major cause of hospital admissions and is associated with manifold complications and high mortality rates. However, data on intensive care unit (ICU) admissions are scarce in developing and low-income countries, where its incidence has been increasing.

Objectives: To analyze epidemiological and clinical factors and outcomes in adult trauma patients admitted to the ICU of a public teaching hospital in a developing country as well as to identify risk factors for complications in the ICU.

Patients and methods: Retrospective cohort of adult trauma patients admitted to the general ICU of a public teaching hospital in southern Brazil in the year 2012. Demographic, clinical, and outcome data from the ICU were analyzed.

Results: During the study period, 144 trauma patients were admitted (83% male, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Score II =18.6±7.2, age =33.3 years, 93% required mechanical ventilation). Of these, 60.4% suffered a traffic accident (52% motorcycle), and 31.2% were victims of violence (aggressions, gunshot wounds, or stabbing); 71% had brain trauma, 37% had chest trauma, and 21% had abdominal trauma. Patients with trauma presented a high incidence of complications, such as infections, acute renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and thrombocytopenia. The ICU mortality rate was 22.9%.

Conclusion: In a Brazilian public teaching ICU, there was a great variability of trauma etiologies (mainly traffic accidents with motorcycles and victims of violence); patients with trauma had a high incidence of complications and mortality in the ICU.