Impact of Sex on Completion of Life-Saving Interventions for Severely Injured Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Sex disparities in access and quality of care are well known for some time-sensitive conditions. However, the impact of sex on early trauma care remains unknown. In this study, we compared delays of completion of life-saving interventions (LSIs) between females and males among severely injured patients. This is a retrospective cohort study of all patients who consulted or were transported by ambulance in the emergency department (ED) of a level-one trauma centre following injury between September 2017 and December 2019 and for whom at least one LSI was performed. The list of LSIs was established by an expert consensus and included trauma team leader (TTL) activation, endotracheal intubation, chest decompression, blood transfusion, massive transfusion protocol, neurosurgery, spinal surgery, intestinal surgery, and spleen, liver and/or kidney angiography. A total of 905 patients were included. No significant statistical differences in the LSI delays were found when comparing females and males brought directly to the ED and transferred from another health care setting. Results of this study suggest that delays before completion of LSIs are similar for severely injured patients at our major trauma centre regardless of their sex.