Board Certification

An Association Between Emergency Medicine Residencies and Improved Trauma Patient Outcome¹

Taylor SF, Gerhardt RT, Simpson MP. Journal of Emergency Medicine 2005; 29:123-127

A study was done to compare trauma patient outcome at American College of Surgeons (ACS) Level I Trauma Centers with Emergency Medicine residency programs (EMRP+) to those without (EMRP-). Ten Level I Trauma Centers were reviewed from the ACS National Trauma Database (5 centers with and 5 without EM residency programs). Of 18,591 trauma patient records, 8679 were identified as EMRP-, and 9912 as EMRP+.

Despite having a statistically significant older patient population, with more burn and penetrating trauma patients requiring longer ICU stays and longer ventilatory support (p < 0.0001), Emergency Medicine Residency program hospitals had a significantly lower complication rate (5.14% vs. 11.04%, respectively, p < 0.0001), death rate (44.704% vs. 5.479%, respectively, p = 0.0013), and shorter overall hospital stays (Mean 4.94 days, SD ± 8.74 vs. 6.35 days, SD ± 11.22, respectively, p < 0.0001) than EMRP- hospitals. The presence of Emergency Medicine residency programs at ACS Level I Trauma Centers is associated with improved trauma patient outcomes.