Domain | Variable(s) |
Characteristics of the deceased individual | Sex, age, race/ethnicity and residence location |
Characteristics of the trauma location | Sole vs. multiple injury and whether weapon used in trauma Number of other persons involved, time of day, day of week and road conditions (for motor vehicle deaths) Distance to downtown Houston (proxy variable for centrality) Distance to nearest alcohol-serving establishment and if in known alcohol establishment centre If in known drug-dealing hot spot |
Demographic characteristics of the deceased residence location | Population, employment, median household income and ethnic distribution by major race/ethnic categories Percentage of population in different age groups, of poverty households, of foreign-born population and of population living abroad 5 years earlier Number of rental units and median building size |
Prehospital care | Distance to the nearest emergency treatment center (includes level of trauma or non-trauma center, free standing clinic, urgent care, or primary care provider) treatment center associated with EMS Mode of transport to the treatment center (see above) Physiological findings on arrival to scene, life-saving interventions, and timespan (found time, dispatch time, arrival and departure of EMS on and off scene, and time of hospital arrival) Weapon type if known Dispatch times |
Transferring hospitalisation and hospital | Physiological findings on arrival to hospital (eg, vital signs, GCS, Hgb, pH, and base excess) Life-saving interventions and timespan (arrival to transfer-accepting hospital time, discharge time and/or time of death) Placement of DNR and comfort care only Hospital type (trauma level, non-trauma and urgent care) |
Comorbid conditions | Pre-existing medical, surgical, and psychiatric conditions, including history of remote trauma |
Complications | Includes renal failure, sepsis, pneumonia, surgical site infection, urinary tract infection, acute respiratory distress syndrome, massive pulmonary embolus, deep vein thrombosis, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular accident, multiorgan failure, and coagulopathy |
System issues | Delay in seeking care Frequent falls with no prevention provided Readmission within 30 days Delay in care/treatment and triage decisions |
Autopsy and injury scoring | Anatomical injuries and mechanism of injury Cause and manner of death Presence of alcohol, illicit, or prescription medications Injury severity score and new injury severity score |
New technology | Identification of new technology based on anatomic findings required to improve outcome |
Mechanism of injury | Information regarding motor vehicle impact site, interpersonal violence, failure to stop and render aid, rear-impact collision, and trauma type (blunt, sharp, firearm, thermal, strangulation, asphyxia, electrocution, and other) |
Preventability | Preventable, potentially preventable, and non-preventable |
Geospatial analysis | Scene (trauma location), home addresses of decedents and zip code Census Bureau’s 2011 to 2015 5-year American Community Survey data Hospital and prehospital locations Crime patterns |
DNR, Do Not Resuscitate; EMS, Emergency Medical Service; GCS, Glasgow Coma Scale; Hgb, hemoglobin