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Germany: Significantly fewer severely injured patients than in 2000

Date:
December 30, 2015
Source:
Deutsches Aerzteblatt International
Summary:
About 18,000 people are severely injured every year in Germany. Earlier investigations, in 2000 and 2006, estimated that more than 32,000 people sustain multiple trauma each year. The newly calculated lower number likely reflects a reduction of severe injuries caused by road traffic and occupational accidents.
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About 18,000 people are severely injured every year in Germany, as determined by Florian Debus and coauthors in a new study published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. Earlier investigations, in 2000 and 2006, estimated that more than 32,000 people sustain multiple trauma each year. The newly calculated lower number likely reflects a reduction of severe injuries caused by road traffic and occupational accidents.

Having a correct estimate of the number of critically injured patients is essential to assure that trauma centers and other medical facilities maintain sufficient space and resources for their treatment. However, the actual number in Germany was not known until now. To determine this number, the authors of this study used three different methods of calculation: they analyzed the number of critically injured patients during one year in Bavaria, in selected hospitals, or within 17 regional trauma networks. The results obtained were then extrapolated to the total population of Germany. All three methods showed a comparable number of trauma patients in Germany, of about 18,300 persons per year. The authors point out that this number can now be used to determine the required resources for treatment that should be kept available.


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Materials provided by Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Debus F, Lefering R, Frink M, Kühne CA, Mand C, Bücking B, Ruchholtz S, and the TraumaRegister DGU. Numbers of severely injured patients in Germany--a retrospective analysis from the DGU (German Society for Trauma Surgery) Trauma Registry. Dtsch Arztebl Int, 2015; 112: 823-9 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0823

Cite This Page:

Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. "Germany: Significantly fewer severely injured patients than in 2000." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 December 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151230143813.htm>.
Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. (2015, December 30). Germany: Significantly fewer severely injured patients than in 2000. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 12, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151230143813.htm
Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. "Germany: Significantly fewer severely injured patients than in 2000." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151230143813.htm (accessed October 12, 2024).

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