Timing and causes of death after injuries.

This article reviews the current knowledge base on the timing and causes of deaths after trauma. The trimodal mortality model (immediate deaths, early deaths, and late deaths) is utilized as the early research describing trimodal distribution is discussed. Also covered is the successive work as trauma systems matured, showing a shift toward a bimodal distribution with a decline in late deaths. Finally, studies of long-term outcomes are highlighted. Deaths occurring within minutes or a few hours of injury are largely unchanged, which underscores the enormity of injuries to the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Late deaths caused by multiple organ failure and sepsis have declined considerably, however. Also, the causes of death in this patient population remain constant. Lastly, a considerable number of deaths after discharge may be due to nontraumatic causes. PMID: 23543966 [PubMed]
Source: Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Tags: Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) Source Type: research