A profile of a major trauma centre of North West England between 2011 and 2018

Abstract

This study examined the trends and patterns of major trauma (MT) activities, causes, mortality and survival at the Aintree Major Trauma Centre (MTC), Liverpool, between 2011 and 2018. The number of trauma team activations (TTAs) rose sharply over time (n = 699 in 2013; n = 1522 in 2018). The proportion of TTAs that involved MT patients decreased from 75.1% in 2013 to 67.4% in 2018. The leading cause of MT was a fall from less than 2 m (36%). There has been a fivefold increase in the overall number of trauma procedures between 2011 and 2018. Orthopaedic surgeons have performed 80% of operations (n = 7732), followed by neurosurgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and general trauma surgeons. Both types of fall (> 2 m and < 2 m) and road traffic accidents were the three leading causes of death during the study period. The observed mortality rates exceeded that of expected rates in years 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017. The all-cause observed to expected mortality ratio was 1.08 between 2012 and 2018. A change in care for MT patients was not directly associated with improved survival, although the marginally ascending trend line in survival rates between 2012 and 2018 reflects a gradual positive change.