Risk Factors for Mortality and the Impact of Targeted Emergency Interventions in Emergency Surgical Trauma Patients

Background: Traumatic injury remains a leading cause of death globally, particularly within the first hours after the event. Identifying specific risk factors for mortality in emergency surgical trauma patients and evaluating the efficacy of time sensitive emergency interventions are critical for improving survival. This study aimed to analyze independent predictors of 24 hour and 30 day mortality in patients undergoing emergency trauma surgery and assess the effect of protocolized emergency measures. Methods:  A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2,315 consecutive adult patients who underwent emergency surgical intervention for trauma at a tertiary academic trauma center between January 2020 and December 2023. Data were extracted from electronic health records, surgical logs, and trauma registries. Variables analyzed included demographic data, injury characteristics (mechanism, Injury Severity Score [ISS]), physiological parameters on admission (hypotension, Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS], hypothermia, acidosis), time intervals (pre hospital time, door to operating room), specific interventions (prehospital tourniquet, emergency department thoracotomy [EDT], massive transfusion protocol [MTP] activation), and surgical procedures performed. Primary outcomes were 24 hour and 30 day all cause mortality. Statistical analysis involved univariate comparisons and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The overall 30 day mortality rate was 13.4% (311/2315), with 65.3% of these deaths (203/311) occurring within the first 24 hours. Multivariate analysis identified six independent risk factors for 24 hour mortality: 1) Penetrating trauma to the torso (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 3.8, 95% CI 2.7–5.4), 2) Admission systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg (aOR 3.5, 95% CI 2.5–4.9), 3) Admission Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8 (aOR 3.0, 95% CI 2.2–4.2), 4) Injury Severity Score ≥25 (aOR 2.9, 95% CI 2.0–4.1), 5) Presence of concurrent traumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock (aOR 6.2, 95% CI 4.1–9.3), and 6) Age ≥65 years (aOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6–3.1). Protocolized emergency interventions showed a significant protective effect: Activation of an in house Massive Transfusion Protocol within 15 minutes of arrival was associated with a 35% reduction in 24 hour mortality in shocked patients (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.48–0.88), and a door to operating room time of <60 minutes for patients in extremis was independently associated with survival (aOR for mortality 0.70, 95% CI 0.52–0.94). Conclusion: Mortality in emergency surgical trauma is multifactorial, with physiological derangement at admission, high energy injury patterns, and advanced age being key non modifiable risk factors. However, mortality can be significantly mitigated by systems based, protocol driven emergency responses, particularly the rapid control of hemorrhage through expedited surgery and goal directed massive transfusion. These findings underscore the vital importance of pre hospital care coordination, in hospital trauma team efficiency, and adherence to time critical surgical and resuscitation protocols.