Epidemiology of trauma at a level 1 trauma center

We reviewed trauma registry data (2004-06) from a Level 1 trauma center to describe the epidemiology of injury. There were 5, 900 trauma patients. Most admissions were amongwhitemen, age 20-29 years (mean age = 48 years). Most admissions occurred in the summer, on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Blunt injuries (89%) and fractures (49%) predominated. Mean ISS= 9.7. ISS = 9-15 was highest among those 70+ years and lowest among patients 30-39 years (P<0.01). Motor vehicle crashes and falls were the most common mechanism of injury. Violent assaults ranked highest in the injury prevention priority score. This research identified areas for further study and will help guide community injury prevention programs and policies.