Table 1.
Patient characteristics of the study population in whom immediate thoracotomy was performed in the ED (EDT) or in the operating theater (ET)
| Parameter | Overall (n = 56) | EDT (n = 12) | ET (n = 44) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-hospital | ||||
| Age (years)a | 32 (25–41) | 28 (24–41) | 33 (25–41) | 0.555c |
| Gender (men)b | 48 (86) | 10 (83) | 38 (86) | N.S.c |
| Stab woundsb | 46 (82) | 7 (58) | 39 (89) | 0.028d |
| Signs of lifeb | 55 (98) | 12 (100) | 43 (98) | N.S.c |
| Glasgow coma scorea | 14 (3–15) | 3 (3–10) | 14 (12–15) | <0.001c |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)a | 98 (60–114) | 0 (0–110) | 100 (80–120) | 0.0140c |
| Revised trauma scorea | 11.00 (7.00–12.00) | 4.50 (4.00–7.00) | 12.00 (8.50–12.00) | <0.001c |
| Closed-chest cardiopulmonary resuscitationa | 6 (11) | 0 (0) | 6 (14) | N.S.e |
| In-hospital | ||||
| Time until ED arrival (min)a | 24 (15–32) | 13 (2–23) | 33 (18–35) | 0.006c |
| Time until thoracotomy (min)a | 68 (42–128) | 25 (15–107) | 79 (52–155) | 0.037c |
| Cardiopulmonary resuscitationb | 17 (30) | 9 (75) | 8 (18) | <0.001d |
| Signs of lifeb | 50 (89) | 7 (58) | 43 (98) | 0.001c |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)a | 105 (69–120) | 0 (0–113) | 107 (80–126) | 0.038c |
| Injury severity scorea | 25 (16–34) | 34 (17–36) | 20 (15–34) | N.S.c |
| Triage-revised trauma scorea | 8 (4–8) | 4 (1–8) | 8 (5–8) | 0.009c |
| H-Los (days)a | 7 (0–12) | 0 (0–5) | 8 (5–14) | 0.005c |
| IC-LOS (days)a | 1 (0–3) | 0 (0–2) | 1 (1–3) | 0.012c |
a Data are displayed as the median, with the first and third quartiles given in parentheses
b Patient numbers are displayed, followed by the corresponding percentages in parentheses
c Mann–Whitney U test, d Fisher’s exact test, e Chi-squared test
H-LOS hospital length of stay, IC-LOS duration of stay at the intensive care unit