Prognostic Factors in Trauma Patients Transported by Physician-Staffed Helicopter in Japan: An Investigation Based on the Japan Trauma Data Bank

Abstract

ObjectiveWe retrospectively investigated prognostic factors for patients evacuated by the physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service using the Japan Trauma Data Bank. MethodsThe study period was from January 2004 to May 2019. The subjects were divided into 2 groups according to the outcome: the survival group and the fatal group. ResultsA total of 19,370 patients were enrolled as subjects. There were 17,080 patients in the survival group and 2,290 in the fatal group. In a multivariate analysis of factors that showed statistical significance in a univariate analysis, the Revised Trauma Score, age, Injury Severity Score, Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAX-AIS) for the upper extremity (negative), year of helicopter dispatch, Japan Coma Scale, MAX-AIS for the head, MAX-AIS for the abdomen/pelvis, and MAX-AIS for the spine were identified as significant predictors of a fatal outcome . ConclusionThis is the first report to investigate the prognostic factors of patients evacuated by helicopter emergency medical service using the Japan Trauma Data Bank. The results suggest that physiological abnormality, age, traumatic anatomic abnormality (other than upper extremity abnormality), and year of helicopter dispatch may be prognostic factors.