Outcome after major trauma: discharge and 6-month follow-up results from the Trauma Recovery Project.

BACKGROUND: The study of both short-term and long-term outcomes after major trauma has become an increasingly important focus of injury research because of the improved survival rates attributable to the evolution of sophisticated trauma care systems. The Trauma Recovery Project (TRP) is a large prospective epidemiologic study designed to examine multiple outcomes after major trauma in adults aged 18 years and older, including quality of life, functional outcome, and psychologic sequelae such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Patient outcomes were assessed at discharge and at 6, 12, and 18 months after discharge. The specific objectives of the present report are to describe functional outcomes at the discharge and 6-month follow-up time points in the TRP population and to examine the association of putative risk factors with functional outcome.

METHODS: Between December 1, 1993, and September 1, 1996, 1,048 eligible trauma patients triaged to four participating trauma center hospitals in the San Diego Regionalized Trauma System were enrolled in the TRP study. The admission criteria for patients were as follows: (1) age 18 years or older, (2) Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission of 12 or greater, and (3) length of stay greater than 24 hours. Functional outcome after trauma was measured before and after injury using the Quality of Well-Being (QWB) scale, a more sensitive index to the well end of the functioning continuum (range, 0 = death to 1.000 = optimum functioning). Functional outcome was also measured using a standard activities of daily living (ADL) scale (range, 13 = full function to 47 = maximum dysfunction). Follow-up at 6 months after discharge was completed for 826 patients (79%).

RESULTS: The mean age was 36 +/- 14.8 years; 70% of the patients were male; 52% of the patients were white, 30% were Hispanic, and 18% were black or other. Less than 40% of study participants were married or living with a partner. The mean Injury Severity Score was 13 +/- 8.5, with 85% blunt injuries, and a mean length of stay of 7 +/- 9.2 days. QWB scores before injury reflected the norm for a healthy adult population (mean, 0.810 +/- 0.171). After major trauma, QWB scores at discharge showed a significant degree of functional limitation (mean, 0.401 +/- 0.045). At 6-month follow-up, QWB scores continued to show high levels of functional limitation (mean, 0.633 +/- 0.122). Limitation measured using the standard ADL scale found only moderate dysfunction at discharge (mean, 30.0 +/- 7.7) and at 6-month follow-up (mean, 15.0 +/- 4.2). Postinjury depression, PTSD, serious extremity injury, and length of stay were significant independent predictors of 6-month QWB outcome.

CONCLUSION: Postinjury functional limitation is a clinically significant complication in trauma patients at discharge and a 6-month follow-up. The QWB yields a more sensitive assessment of functional status than traditional ADL instruments. Postinjury depression, PTSD, serious extremity injury, and length of stay are significantly associated with 6-month QWB outcome.