Females have fewer complications and lower mortality following trauma than similarly injured males: A risk adjusted analysis of adults in the National Trauma Data Bank
Accepted 8 May 2009.
Background
Studies of sexual dimorphism in trauma outcomes suggest that women have a survival advantage compared to equivalently injured men. It is unknown if this gender disparity is mediated by potentially life-threatening complications.
Objective
To determine (1) if there is a sex-based differences in the odds of developing inpatient complications after trauma, and (2) if are these complications associated with death among trauma patients.
Methods
Review of adult trauma patients admitted to hospitals in the National Trauma Data Bank that report complications. Patient and injury severity covariates were adjusted using multiple logistic regression and the independent effect of sex on developing complications and associated mortality was determined.
Results
A total of 681,730 adult patients met the inclusion criteria of hospital admission ≥3 days. Women demonstrated a 21% lower adjusted risk of death compared to males (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.76–0.83). Females had decreased adjusted odds of developing life-threatening complications including pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute renal failure and pulmonary embolism. However, when compared to males with life-threatening complications, females with complications were found to be at greater risk of dying.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that women are less likely than men to develop inpatient complications, suggesting that the survival advantage among women after traumatic injury may involve a reduced susceptibility to developing life-threatening complications.
aTrauma Outcomes Research Group—Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
bTrauma Outcomes Research Group—Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC
Reprint requests: Adil H. Haider, MD, MPH, Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Halsted 610, Baltimore, MD 21287.
Presented as an oral presentation at the Academic Surgical Congress during the proceedings of the Society of University Surgeons on February 4, 2009.
Supported by New Faculty Academic Support Fund (A.H.H.) and the Deans Medical Research Stipend Award (J.G.C.), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
ABSTRACT