TABLE 1.
Characteristics of Re-triaged Seriously Injured Patients in California 2009–2018.
| Variable | Level | Re-triages N (%) | Sub-optimal Re-triages N (%) | Optimal Re-triages N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient Characteristics | ||||
| Total (N) | 8882 | 2680 | 6202 | |
| Age, years | 18–24 | 420 (4.7) | 83 (3.1) | 337 (5.4) |
| 25–34 | 521 (5.9) | 88 (3.3) | 433 (7.0) | |
| 35–44 | 532 (6.0) | 101 (3.8) | 431 (6.9) | |
| 45–54 | 811 (9.1) | 143 (5.3) | 668 (10.8) | |
| 55–64 | 1253 (14.1) | 327 (12.2) | 926 (14.9) | |
| 65–74 | 1479 (16.7) | 482 (18.0) | 997 (16.1) | |
| 75–84 | 2133 (24.0) | 794 (29.6) | 1339 (21.6) | |
| ≥85 | 1733 (19.5) | 662 (24.7) | 1071 (17.3) | |
| Sex | Male | 5258 (59.2) | 1469 (54.8) | 3789 (61.1) |
| Female | 3624 (40.8) | 1211 (45.2) | 2413 (38.9) | |
| Race | White | 6595 (74.3) | 1800 (67.2) | 4795 (77.3) |
| Black | 410 (4.6) | 175 (6.5) | 235 (3.8) | |
| Asian | 620 (7.0) | 313 (11.7) | 307 (5.0) | |
| Other | 1257 (14.2) | 392 (14.6) | 865 (13.9) | |
| Ethnicity | Hispanic | 1920 (21.6) | 508 (19.0) | 1412 (22.8) |
| Non-Hispanic | 6962 (78.4) | 2172 (81.0) | 4790 (77.2) | |
| Insurance | Self-pay | 627 (7.1) | 91 (3.4) | 536 (8.6) |
| Blue Shield Blue Cross | 284 (3.2) | 28 (1.0) | 256 (4.1) | |
| Private | 371 (4.2) | 95 (3.5) | 276 (4.5) | |
| Medicare | 5119 (57.6) | 1784 (66.6) | 3335 (53.8) | |
| Medicaid | 990 (11.1) | 152 (5.7) | 838 (13.5) | |
| Federal | 85 (1.0) | 7 (0.3) | 78 (1.3) | |
| Managed Care Unspecified | 1163 (13.1) | 490 (18.3) | 673 (10.9) | |
| Other | 243 (2.7) | 33 (1.2) | 210 (3.4) | |
| Injury mechanism | All transport | 1349 (15.2) | 204 (7.6) | 1145 (18.5) |
| Fall | 5713 (64.3) | 1937 (72.3) | 3776 (60.9) | |
| Struck by or against | 506 (5.7) | 134 (5.0) | 372 (6.0) | |
| Other | 1314 (14.8) | 405 (15.1) | 909 (14.7) | |
| Body part affected | Torso | 411 (4.6) | 60 (2.2) | 351 (5.7) |
| Traumatic brain injury | 7798 (87.8) | 2470 (92.1) | 5328 (85.9) | |
| Other head, face, and neck | 255 (2.9) | 31 (1.2) | 224 (3.6) | |
| Upper/lower extremities | 177 (2.0) | 85 (3.2) | 92 (1.5) | |
| Other | 241 (2.7) | 35 (1.3) | 206 (3.3) | |
| Injury Severity Score |
16–25 | 8160 (91.9) | 2543 (94.9) | 5617 (90.6) |
| >25 | 722 (8.1) | 137 (5.1) | 585 (9.4) | |
| Sending center location | ||||
| Regional trauma Coordinating committee |
South-East | 2036 (22.9) | 411 (15.3) | 1625 (26.2) |
| North | 1882 (21.2) | 414 (15.4) | 1468 (23.7) | |
| Bay Area | 1599 (18.0) | 600 (22.4) | 999 (16.1) | |
| Central | 1814 (20.4) | 188 (7.0) | 1626 (26.2) | |
| South-West | 1551 (17.5) | 1067 (39.8) | 484 (7.8) | |