Unnecessary admissions of head-injured patients at the University Hospital of the West Indies
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Ivor W. Crandon; M. Benaris; Hyacinth Harding-Goldson; A H McDonald
- Source
- The West Indian medical journal. 56(3)
- Subject
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Pediatrics
Jamaica
West Indies
Poison control
Suicide prevention
Occupational safety and health
Head trauma
law.invention
Hospitals, University
Injury Severity Score
law
Risk Factors
Injury prevention
medicine
Craniocerebral Trauma
Humans
Glasgow Coma Scale
Prospective Studies
Registries
business.industry
Head injury
General Medicine
medicine.disease
Intensive care unit
Hospitalization
Intensive Care Units
Emergency medicine
Wounds and Injuries
Female
business
- Language
- ISSN
- 0043-3144
The prospectively collected data in the Jamaica National Trauma Registry operated by the Section of Surgery identified 88 patients who were admitted with head injury to the University Hospital of the West Indies over a one-year period. There were 67 males (76.1%), the mean (SD) age of the entire group being 35.02 (+/- 18.45) years. Intentional injuries occurred in 47.2%. The Injury Severity Score was greater than 15 in 19.3%, severe head injuries occurred in 19% and overall mortality was 16%. Care in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was extended to only half of those with the severe injuries. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) method was used to assess the appropriateness of admission to hospital. Sixteen (18%) of the 88 patients were inappropriately admitted according to SIGN guidelines. Increased efficiency may result from standardization of admission criteria for head-injured patients and consistent implementation of the SIGN guidelines for admission without increased risk to patients. This may be expected to minimize unnecessary admissions and result in considerable cost savings.