Trauma Registry

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The Department of Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Section of Surgery maintains the University of the West Indies Trauma Registry. This commenced in January 1998 and there are now over 8000 trauma patient records entered to date. Areas looked at include:

  • Demography
  • System Access; thru the Accident & Emergency Department, Prehospital (whether the patient assessed at the scene of the injury) or other hospitals.
  • Logistics of injury (Etiology - intentional, unintentional/accidental or undetermined, place/scene of injury, domestic vs other, method/agent used - firearm etc.)
  • Mitigation (use of protective device).
  • Care given.
  • Disposition.

This database has resulted in a number of publications and presentations to professional bodies locally and regionally for example:

  • Injuries: the broad picture
  • Substance abuse in injured patients.
  • Trauma care in Jamaica.
  • Head chopping.
  • Women and Trauma.
  • Poisoning
  • Trauma in the Elderly
  • Overview of interpersonal violence: the trauma toll
  • Epidemiology of admissions from sports-related injuries
  • Mortality in admitted surgical patients in Jamaiaca at the UHWI

Currently there is a project with data on over 5000 patients being analysed to look at the Effects of Injury on the Jamaican economy - costs and recovery of costs at the UHWI.

Under the supervision of the Head of Department, the Research Office provides research assistance to the Academic staff including interdepartmental projects on or off campus as required. It maintains a Trauma Registry which provides not only data on patients admitted to the hospital but also keeps copies of Post Mortem reports on deceased trauma patients. Other registries are also maintained as needed.

Data are not only collected, but can be entered, collated and assistance given in analysis.