 | Monday 30 January 2012
Victoria’s trauma hospitals are saving lives
Victoria’s world-class major trauma system is regularly offering a lifeline to some of the state’s
most critically injured patients, the Health Minister David Davis said today.
Releasing the Victorian State Trauma Registry Report for the year to June 2010, Mr Davis
said the integrated and co-ordinated system linking hospitals and the ambulance service
meant that severely injured patients had a greater chance of survival than ever before.
“Our hospitals are admitting more and more severely injured people, and their survival rates
are increasing,” Mr Davis said.
“The percentage of the most critically injured people who survive after making it to hospital –
those with an Injury Severity Score of more than 15 – has increased from 85.1 per cent in
2001 to 90.3 per cent now.
“The co-ordinated system is ensuring they get to the major trauma hospital which is best able
to treat their injury, instead of being transferred after admission to another hospital.
“In 66.3 per cent of cases the patients are taken directly to the hospital best able to provide
definitive care, up from 53.8 per cent in 2001.
“These considerable improvements in pre-hospital triage and transport are playing an
important role in reducing deaths.”
Mr Davis said the Victorian system was being used as the model to develop a follow-up
process for patients in trauma systems in the United Kingdom and Canada.
The Victorian State Trauma System was established in 2000, following a review of trauma
and emergency services in 1999.
Since establishment of the VSTS, there has been significant improvement in patient
outcomes, and a reduction in preventable deaths and permanent disability.
The latest report analyses 2,745 major trauma patients treated at 138 Victorian hospitals – up
from 2,194 patients in 2006.
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The most common causes of major trauma deaths were transport accidents (24.6 per cent)
and falls (23.5 per cent).
“Victorian major trauma patients are spending less time in hospital and are more are able to
go directly home after recovering from their injuries,” Mr Davis said.
“This is a credit to the quality of care in our hospitals and the quick and efficient manner in
which patients are assessed and treated in the time immediately after sustaining their injury.
The first hour after injuries are sustained is critical to patient survival, and our co-ordinated
system is giving patients the best chance.”
The report shows the most common location for a major trauma accident was a road, street
or highway (44.9 per cent of all cases), followed by the home (28.3 per cent).
The most common day for major trauma injuries is Saturday (19 per cent of all patients), and
the most common time is between 8am and 4pm.
The report is available online at www.health.vic.gov.au/trauma/publications.htm
Media inquiries: Kathryn McFarlane 0419 850 201Media Release Attachment - 120130_Davis_-_Victorias_trauma_hospitals_are_saving_lives.pdf [Word, 72738 Bytes]
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