Unhoused and Injured: Injury Characteristics and Outcomes in Unhoused Trauma Patients.
J Surg Res
; 301: 365-370, 2024 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39029258
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
The unhoused population is known to be at high risk for traumatic injury. However, there are scarce data regarding injury patterns and outcomes for this patient group. This study aims to investigate any differences in injury characteristics and hospital outcomes between unhoused and housed patients presenting with traumatic injuries.METHODS:
We conducted a 3-y retrospective cohort study at a level 1 trauma center in a metropolitan area with a large unhoused population. All adult trauma patients who were identified as unhoused or housed underinsured (HUI) were included in the study. Injury characteristics, comorbidities, and hospital outcomes were compared between the two groups.RESULTS:
A total of 8450 patients were identified, of which 7.5% were unhoused. Compared to HUI patients, unhoused patients were more likely to sustain minor injuries (65.2% versus 59.1%, P = 0.003) and more likely to be injured by assault (17.9% versus 12.4%, P < 0.001), stab wound (17.7% versus 10.8%, P < 0.001), and automobile versus pedestrian or bike (21.0% versus 15.8% P < 0.001). We found that unhoused patients had higher odds of mortality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-3.36, P = 0.021), brain death (AOR 5.40, 95% CI 2.11-13.83, P < 0.001), bacteremia/sepsis (AOR 4.36, 95% CI 1.20-15.81, P = 0.025), and increased hospital length of stay (regression coefficient 0.08, 95% CI 0.03-0.12, P = 0.003).CONCLUSIONS:
This study observed significant disparities in injury characteristics and hospital outcomes between the unhoused and HUI groups. Our results suggest that these disparities are impacted by social determinants of health unique to the unhoused population.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Ferimentos e Lesões
Limite:
Adult
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Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Surg Res
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article