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Table 1 Characteristics of the trauma centers participating in the study

From: Variation in use of damage control laparotomy for trauma by trauma centers in the United States, Canada, and Australasia

Characteristic (N = 199 trauma centers)

No. (%) of trauma centers*

p value

United States (n = 156 trauma centers)

Canada (n = 26 trauma centers)

Australasia (n = 17 trauma centers)

Accredited/verified for treatment ofa

   

< 0.001

 Adult patients

119 (76.3)

9 (34.6)

8 (47.1)

 

 Adult and pediatric patients

34 (21.8)

8 (30.8)

5 (29.4)

 

 Not accredited/verified—treat adult patients

0 (0)

3 (11.5)

4 (23.5)

 

 No accredited/verified—treat adult and pediatric patients

3 (1.9)

6 (23.1)

0 (0)

 

ACS-designed level of adult care

   

< 0.001

 Level 1

68/154 (44.2)

10/196 (38.5)

12/16 (75.0)

 

 Level 2

64/154 (41.6)

6 (23.1)

2/16 (12.5)

 

 Level 3

21/154 (13.6)

4 (15.4)

1/16 (6.3)

 

 Not accredited/verified

0 (0)

5 (19.2)

1/16 (6.3)

 

 Other

1/154 (0.7)

1 (3.9)

0 (0)

 

Geographic location

   

0.44

 Urban (within a city)

87/150 (58.0)

17 (65.4)

10 (58.8)

 

 Suburban (residential area on outskirts of a city)

42/150 (28.0)

7 (26.9)

7 (41.2)

 

 Rural (outside a city)

21/150 (14.0)

2 (7.7)

0 (0)

 

Teaching center (regularly has resident physicians on the trauma service)

83/147 (56.5)

17 (70.8)

11 (64.7)

0.39

Participates in research

113/154 (73.4)

22/24 (91.7)

17 (100)

0.006

 Local investigator-initiated research

101/154 (65.6)

18/24 (75.0)

13 (76.5)

 

 Multicenter research

78/154 (50.7)

16/24 (66.7)

11 (64.7)

 

 Industry-sponsored research

44/154 (28.6)

5/24 (20.8)

5 (29.4)

 

Designated trauma team

155/155 (100)

21/25 (84.0)

17 (100)

< 0.001

Designated trauma service

150/154 (97.4)

15/25 (60.0)

14 (82.4)

< 0.001

ICU that admits and cares for injured patients

153/153 (100)

24/24 (100)

17 (100)

NA

No. trauma patients assessed in last year, median (IQR)

    

 Adult, any ISS score

1500 (953–2524)

836 (650–1349)

1998.5 (1300–3500)

0.007

 Adult, ISS score > 15

250 (142–452)

376.5 (129–520)

310 (220–500)

0.67

 Pediatric, any ISS score

90 (38–200)

36 (0–100)

68 (20.5–400)

0.008

 Pediatric, ISS score > 15

9 (2–27)

6 (0–37)

10 (5–30)

0.84

High volume trauma centerb

18/135 (13.3)

3/22 (13.6)

1 (6.7)

0.84

Percentage of trauma patients assessed in last year with a penetrating injury, median (IQR)

8 (5–15)

5 (3–9.1)

5 (3–8)

0.008

  1. ACS American College of Surgeons, ICU intensive care unit, IQR interquartile range, ISS injury severity scale
  2. *Denominator of responses is given if different than stated in the column heading. The number of responses in a category may be greater than the column or category total if responses are not mutually exclusive
  3. aTrauma centers in the United States were accredited/verified by the American College of Surgeons; in Canada, the Trauma Association of Canada; and in Australasia, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
  4. bDefined as a center that assessed > 650 major trauma (ISS > 15) patients in the last year [28]