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Potentially Preventable Trauma Deaths: A Challenge for Trauma Care Systems

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The High-risk Surgical Patient

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Abstract

Death preventability is a marker of quality of care, and it can be used to evaluate the effectiveness, performance, and adequacy of trauma patient management. In general, preventable deaths after a traumatic injury have been defined as casualties whose lives could have been saved by appropriate and timely medical care, regardless of tactical, logistical, or environmental issues. They are identified as preventable (frankly or definitive) if they occur when a care error is clearly the cause of death; potentially preventable if non-lethal injury, suboptimal care, and management errors are the direct or indirect cause of death. Non-preventable deaths are due to catastrophic injuries considered unsurvivable. The vast majority of preventable deaths are haemorrhage related, and errors determining preventability can be identified across all the systems of care. Several strategies can be implemented both prehospital and in-hospital to reduce preventable death rate through a systematic approach and education.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, General Surgery and Trauma Team, University of Milano, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy

    Stefania Cimbanassi & Osvaldo Chiara

  2. General Surgery and Trauma Team, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy

    Roberto Bini

Authors
  1. Stefania Cimbanassi
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  2. Roberto Bini
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  3. Osvaldo Chiara
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefania Cimbanassi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Emergenza Urgenza, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy

    Paolo Aseni

  2. Divisione di Cardiochirurgia, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Antonino Massimiliano Grande

  3. Div. of Emerg. Surg., Abdominal Center, Helsinki University Hospital Meilahti, Helsinki, Finland

    Ari Leppäniemi

  4. Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, General Surgery and Trauma Team, University of Milano, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy

    Osvaldo Chiara

Self-assessment Test

Self-assessment Test

  1. 1.

    A death can be defined as preventable if

    1. (a)

      A care error may contribute to death

    2. (b)

      A care error is clearly the cause of death

    3. (c)

      The death occurs in a non-trauma centre

    4. (d)

      All of the above

  2. 2.

    The vast majority of late deaths are due to

    1. (a)

      Lack of bleeding control

    2. (b)

      Multiorgan failure

    3. (c)

      System errors

    4. (d)

      Catastrophic brain injuries

  3. 3.

    Most of the preventable trauma deaths are related to

    1. (a)

      Torso haemorrhage

    2. (b)

      Primary brain injury

    3. (c)

      Sepsis

    4. (d)

      None of the above

Correct Answers

  1. 1.

    (b)

  2. 2.

    (b)

  3. 3.

    (a)

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Cimbanassi, S., Bini, R., Chiara, O. (2023). Potentially Preventable Trauma Deaths: A Challenge for Trauma Care Systems. In: Aseni, P., Grande, A.M., Leppäniemi, A., Chiara, O. (eds) The High-risk Surgical Patient. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17273-1_63

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17273-1_63

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-17272-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-17273-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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