Isolated Rollover Mechanism Does Not Warrant Trauma Center Evaluation

Abstract

Significant resources are expended on the assessment of trauma patients who arrive at the trauma center based solely on mechanism of injury. We hypothesized that rollover motor vehicle crashes (ROMVC) are not an independent predictor for trauma center care. All patients seen between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005, involved in a ROMVC, were reviewed. Patients with any confounding factors were removed, leaving those transported to the trauma center based on mechanism only. Five hundred sixty-nine patients were transported to our center for the mechanism of ROMVC. Of the 569 patients, 369 (65%) were evaluated and discharged with minimal Injury Severity Score and regional Abbreviated Injury Scale scores. Of the remaining 200 (35%) patients admitted, 130 required surgery, predominantly for closed extremity and facial fractures. Six patients required immediate surgery for life-threatening injuries: 3 splenectomies, 1 subdural evacuation, and 2 vascular repairs (1.1%). Of the remaining 123 (4.2%) patients requiring surgery, 24 required urgent surgery (2 craniotomies, 9 laparotomies, and 13 spinal fixations). None of the patients with spinal injury had neurologic deficit. Eight patients were admitted to the intensive care unit for neurologic monitoring (1.4%). Only 6.7 per cent benefited from initial Trauma Triage Criteria. Therefore, ROMVC is not an independent predictor of the need for trauma center evaluation or admission. The majority of these patients could be safely evaluated and treated at nontrauma centers or transferred later.