A review of stab wound injuries at a tertiary trauma centre in Singapore: are self-inflicted ones less severe?

INTRODUCTION: In Singapore, as strict laws are a strong deterrent against armed violence, little is known about the epidemiology of penetrating stab wound injuries. Our study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of stab wound injuries at a major trauma centre in Singapore and determine if there was a difference in severity between self-inflicted stab wound (SI) injuries and those inflicted by others (IO). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all penetrating injuries at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and identified and categorised all stab wound injuries as SI or IO. Basic demographic information, injury severity characteristics and outcome data were compared between these two groups. A review of all mortalities was performed, including recording the causes of death. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2010, there were a total of 149 stab wound injuries, of which 24 (16.1%) were SI and 125 (83.9%) were IO injuries. Patients tended to be young (mean age 34.1 ± 14.2 years). The mean Injury Severity Score was significantly different between the SI and IO groups (8.8 ± 6.5 vs. 12.3 ± 8.1; p = 0.03). In both groups, the majority underwent an operative procedure (83.3% vs. 85.6%) and had an average hospital stay of four days. CONCLUSION: The study confirms our hypothesis that SI injuries tend to be less severe than IO injuries and are more likely to occur at home rather than at a public area. This finding may be useful in the triage of patients with stab wound injuries.

A 10-Year Profile of Trauma Admissions Caused by Interpersonal Violence: A Major Trauma Centre's Experience.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to characterise interpersonal violence victims admitted to a major trauma centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of interpersonal violence victims who were admitted to our centre from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2010 was conducted. Data were obtained from our trauma registry. RESULTS: Interpersonal violence victims constituted 444 (90.1% males and 9.9% females) out of a total of 8561 trauma admissions in the same time period. The average age was 36.6 years (range, 14 to 83 years). Majority were Chinese (53.4%) and Singaporeans (77.3%). The number of cases increased from 10 per year to 96 per year in the first 8 years, then decreased in the last 2 years (55 in year 2010). Time of injury was predominantly 0000 to 0559 hours (72.3%). Interpersonal violence mostly occurred in public spaces for both genders (88.7%). However, the number of females who were injured at home was significantly higher than males (P = 0.000). Blunt trauma (58.3%) was more common than penetrating trauma (41.7%). The average injury severity score (ISS) was 13.5 (range, 1 to 75); 34.9% of patients had major trauma (ISS >15). The average Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score was 13.5 (range, 3 to 15); 16.4% of patients had moderate-to-severe brain injury (GCS 3-8). Blunt trauma was significantly more likely to cause major trauma than penetrating trauma (P = 0.003). The sole case of firearm assault caused most morbi-mortality. Overall mortality was 4.5%. Major trauma (OR: 25.856; P = 0.002) and moderate-to-severe brain injury (OR: 7.495; P = 0.000) were independent risk factors of mortality. CONCLUSION: There has been no prior published data on interpersonal violence locally. This study is thus useful as preliminary data for future population-based studies. It also provides data for authorities to formulate preventive and intervention strategies.

Ethnic disparities in trauma mortality outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Ethnic disparities in trauma mortality outcomes have been demonstrated in the United States according to the US National Trauma Data Bank. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of race/ethnicity on trauma mortality in Singapore. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients aged 18-64 years with an injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 9 in the Trauma Registry of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, a 1,300-bed trauma center in Singapore, from 2006 to 2010. Chinese, Malay, and Indian patients were compared with patients of other ethnic groups. Multiple logistic regression analyses determined differences in survival rates after adjusting for demographics, anatomic and physiologic ISS and revised trauma score, mechanism or type of injury. RESULTS: A total of 4,186 patients (66.4 % of the database) met the inclusion criteria. Most patients were male (76.3 %) and young (mean age 40 years). Using Chinese as the reference group, we found no statistically significant differences in unadjusted or adjusted mortality rates among the ethnic groups. Independent predictors of mortality included age [odds ratio (OR) 1.05, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.06, p < 0.0001], presence of severe head injury (OR 1.75, 95 % CI 1.13-2.69, p = 0.012), and increasing ISS (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Ethnicity is not an independent predictor of trauma mortality outcomes in the Singapore population. Our findings contrast with those from the United States, where race/ethnicity (Black and Hispanic) remains a strong independent risk factor for trauma mortality. This study attests to the success of the Singapore health care/trauma system in delivering the same quality of care regardless of ethnicity.

Major workplace related accidents in Singapore: A major trauma centre's experience.

INTRODUCTION: Major workplace related accidents pose a significant healthcare resource challenge in Singapore. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study looks at the epidemiology of patients who were admitted for workplace related accidents, in a single institution, with an Injury Severity Score of >9. RESULTS: There were 196 cases of major workplace related accidents admitted between January 2006 and December 2007. The median age of patients admitted was 37 years with a large percentage being males (95.4%) and non-residents (57.1%). The most common ethnic group was Chinese (53.1%) followed by Indians (23.5%). The most common mechanism of injury was fall from height (66.3%) followed by injuries as a result of falling objects at work (21.9%). The percentage of patients who required surgical intervention was 69.9%. Patients admitted for major workplace related accidents had a median length of stay of 5 days in the hospital, a median length of 24 days of medical leave (ML), certifying them unfit for duty and the average cost of stay for each patient was S$11,000. CONCLUSIONS: We have a better understanding of the epidemiology and socio-economic impact of workplace related accidents through this study. Workplace related accidents result in significant number of man-days lost from work and monetary cost to employers, medical insurance and the hospital. With an improved understanding, we propose methods to prevent and reduce such accidents in future. A direct consequence of which will be the possible reduction of hospitalisation costs and better allocation of healthcare resources in the future.