Mechanisms and Demographics in Trauma

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511547447.004

1 - Mechanisms and Demographics in Trauma

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 January 2010

Pedro Barbieri ,

Daniel H. Gomez ,

Peter F. Mahoney ,

Pablo Pratesi and

Christopher M. Grande

Edited by

Charles E. Smith

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Pedro Barbieri: Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia, Hospital Britanico de Buenos Aires, University of El Salvador School of Medicine, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Daniel H. Gomez: Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia, Hospital Universitario Austral, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Peter F. Mahoney: Affiliation:
Military Critical Care, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Pablo Pratesi: Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Austral University Hospital, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Christopher M. Grande: Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, and International TraumaCare (ITACCS), Baltimore, Maryland
Charles E. Smith: Affiliation:
Case Western Reserve University, Ohio

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Summary

Objectives

The aim of this chapter is to put trauma in context as a major health issue and give practitioners an understanding of the underlying causes and mechanisms.

INTRODUCTION

Injury is the leading cause of death in people aged between 1 and 44 years in the United States and a leading cause of death worldwide [1]. It can be defined as a “physical harm or damage to the structure or function of the body, caused by an acute exchange of energy (mechanical, chemical, thermal, radioactive, or biological) that exceeds the body's tolerance” [2, 3].

In 2002, 33 million patients were processed by emergency departments in the United States, and 161,269 died by traumatic injury [4]. Trauma is the leading cause of years of potential life lost for people younger than 75 years and this implies a huge expense to the health care system and massive amounts of resources used for care and rehabilitation [5].

Demographics is the statistical study of human populations, especially with reference to size and density, distribution, and vital statistics. Data on the demographics of trauma in the United States have been obtained from a number of sources listed in the references to this chapter.

ALCOHOL

In a recent report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting Program, the FBI estimated that more than 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and an estimated 254,000 persons were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present – an average of one person injured approximately every two minutes.

Type: Chapter
Information: Trauma Anesthesia , pp. 1 - 8

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511547447.004 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2008

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