Table 1.
Demographics of entire cohort and a comparison of characteristics for each outcome of interest at 6 months after discharge
| Result: n= (%) unless otherwise indicated | Total sample (n=337) |
Poor physical function (n=77) |
Good physical function (n=134) |
P value | Chronic pain (n=77) |
No chronic pain (n=134) |
P value | Neuropathic component likely (n=47) |
Neuropathic component unlikely (n=164) |
P value |
| Age (mean (SD)) | 62 (16.5) | 69.1 (13.9) | 60.8 (16.3) | <0.001 | 66.7 (16.4) | 62.1 (15.6) | 0.05 | 63.4 (17) | 63.9 (15.7) | 0.84 |
| Male (%) | 231 (68.5) | 49 (63.6) | 97 (72.4) | 0.19 | 54 (70.1) | 91 (67.9) | 0.80 | 33 (70.2) | 112 (68.7) | 0.85 |
| Injury severity score (mean (SD)) | 11.2 (7.3) | 10.9 (7.8) | 11.4 (6.8) | 0.61 | 11.3 (7.9) | 11.2 (6.8) | 0.89 | 11.6 (8.3) | 11.2 (6.9) | 0.76 |
| Mechanism of injury: | ||||||||||
| RTC | 78 (23.1) | 14 (18.2) | 38 (28.4) | 0.23 | 19 (24.7) | 33 (24.6) | 0.78 | 9 (19.1) | 43 (26.4) | 0.82 |
| Crush | 11 (3.3) | 3 (3.9) | 4 (3) | 1 (1.3) | 6 (4.5) | 1 (2.1) | 6 (3.7) | |||
| Ped versus vehicle | 4 (1.2) | 1 (1.3) | 2 (1.5) | 1 (1.3) | 2 (1.5) | 1 (2.1) | 2 (1.2) | |||
| Fall >2 m | 69 (20.5) | 13 (16.9) | 30 (22.4) | 18 (23.4) | 25 (18.7) | 13 (27.7) | 30 (18.4) | |||
| Fall <2 m | 153 (45.4) | 44 (57.1) | 54 (40.3) | 37 (48.1) | 61 (45.5) | 22 (46.8) | 76 (46.6) | |||
| Assault | 14 (4.2) | 1 (1.3) | 4 (3) | 1 (1.3) | 3 (2.2) | 1 (2.1) | 3 (1.8) | |||
| CPR | 4 (1.2) | 1 (1.3) | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.7) | 0 | 1 (0.6) | |||
| Rapid deceleration | 4 (1.2) | 0 | 2 (1.5) | 0 | 2 (1.5) | 0 | 2 (1.2) | |||
| Comorbidities: | ||||||||||
| Respiratory comorbidity | 70 (20.8) | 21 (27.3) | 21 (15.7) | 0.042 | 21 (27.3) | 20 (14.9) | 0.031 | 12 (25.5) | 29 (17.8) | 0.24 |
| Cardiac comorbidity | 147 (43.6) | 49 (63.6) | 53 (39.6) | 0.001 | 47 (61) | 54 (40.3) | 0.004 | 27 (57.4) | 74 (45.4) | 0.15 |
| Neuro comorbidity | 50 (14.8) | 20 (26) | 9 (6.7) | <0.001 | 19 (24.7) | 10 (7.5) | 0.001 | 10 (21.3) | 19 (11.7) | 0.092 |
| MSK comorbidity | 89 (26.4) | 26 (33.8) | 35 (26.1) | 0.24 | 30 (39) | 31 (23.1) | 0.016 | 16 (34) | 45 (27.6) | 0.39 |
| Pre-injury regular analgesic use | 61 (18.1) | 23 (29.9) | 15 (11.2) | 0.001 | 30 (39) | 8 (6) | <0.001 | 19 (40.4) | 19 (11.7) | <0.001 |
| Injury descriptors: | ||||||||||
| No. rib fractures (mean (SD)) | 5.2 (4) | 5.3 (3.8) | 5.3 (4) | 0.90 | 5.4 (3.9) | 5.3 (3.9) | 0.74 | 5.6 (4.1) | 5.2 (3.8) | 0.55 |
| Operative rib fixation | 16 (4.7) | 6 (7.8) | 3 (2.2) | 0.05 | 2 (2.6) | 7 (5.2) | 0.36 | 3 (6.4) | 6 (3.7) | 0.42 |
| First rib fracture | 31 (9.2) | 6 (7.8) | 13 (9.7) | 0.64 | 10 (13) | 9 (6.7) | 0.13 | 7 (14.9) | 12 (7.4) | 0.11 |
| Bilateral rib fractures | 44 (13.1) | 9 (11.7) | 19 (14.2) | 0.61 | 11 (14.3) | 17 (12.7) | 0.76 | 10 (21.3) | 18 (11) | 0.07 |
| Radiological flail | 60 (17.8) | 13 (16.9) | 29 (21.6) | 0.41 | 16 (20.8) | 26 (19.4) | 0.83 | 7 (14.9) | 35 (21.5) | 0.32 |
| Extra-thoracic injuries | 104 (30.9) | 25 (32.5) | 35 (26.1) | 0.33 | 19 (24.7) | 40 (29.9) | 0.40 | 12 (25.5) | 47 (28.8) | 0.66 |
| Analgesic mode: | ||||||||||
| Intermittent analgesia only | 179 (53.1) | 37 (48.1) | 77 (57.5) | 0.19 | 37 (48.1) | 76 (56.7) | 0.20 | 22 (46.8) | 91 (55.8) | 0.28 |
| Regional analgesia | 106 (31.5) | 29 (37.7) | 41 (30.6) | 0.29 | 31 (40.3) | 39 (29.1) | 0.11 | 20 (42.6) | 50 (30.7) | 0.13 |
| Patient-controlled analgesic only | 93 (27.6) | 23 (29.9) | 29 (21.6) | 0.18 | 20 (26) | 32 (23.9) | 0.76 | 12 (25.5) | 40 (24.5) | 0.89 |
| Short-term inpatient outcomes: | ||||||||||
| Complications: | 111 (32.9) | 34 (44.2) | 33 (24.6) | 0.003 | 25 (32.5) | 42 (31.3) | 0.89 | 18 (38.3) | 49 (30.1) | 0.29 |
| Post admission ventilation: | 26 (7.7) | 9 (11.7) | 5 (3.7) | 0.025 | 6 (7.8) | 8 (6) | 0.62 | 5 (10.6) | 9 (5.5) | 0.22 |
| ICU length of stay (mean (SD)) | 7.6 (7.4) | 9.42 (7.5) | 6.42 (5.8) | 0.16 | 7.6 (5.4) | 7.8 (7.3) | 0.93 | 9.4 (7.2) | 7.4 (6.6) | 0.49 |
| Hospital length of stay (mean (SD)) | 8.9 (9.5) | 11.7 (10.2) | 6.9 (5.7) | <0.001 | 10.4 (9.3) | 7.7 (7) | 0.03 | 9.9 (7.2) | 8.3 (8.2) | 0.21 |
CPR, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation; ICU, intensive care unit; MSK, musculoskeletal; Ped, pedestrian; RTC, road traffic collision.