Time to Surgery and Injury Severity Score

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the association between time to surgery and injury severity score (ISS).

Methods: Medical charts and records were reviewed for polytrauma patients who underwent trauma surgery from November 2014 to March 2016. The patients were divided into two groups based on the ISS.

Results: Among the 217 operated patients, 22 patients underwent first and second surgery. The patients with an ISS over 17 (mean 13.0 days) had a longer interval between surgeries than patients with an ISS of 17 or less (mean 7.5 days) (p=0.031). One hundred and twenty-one patients only underwent elective surgery and there is a positive correlation between ISS and time to elective surgery (p<0.028, Pearson’s correlation coefficient=0.224). Seventy-four patients underwent emergent surgery only. Among these, the patients with an ISS of 17 or less underwent general surgery (86%) but the patients with an ISS more than 17 underwent neurological surgery (47%).

Conclusion: Patients with high ISS need critical care during the preoperative and postoperative period.