Association between the time to definitive care and trauma patient outcomes: every minute in the golden hour matters

Purpose: This study examined the association between lapsed time and trauma patients, suggesting that a shorter time to definitive care leads to a better outcome. Methods: We used the Pan-Asian Trauma Outcome Study registry to analyze a retrospective cohort of 963 trauma patients who received surgical intervention or transarterial embolization within 2 h of injury in Asian countries between January 2016 and December 2020. Exposure measurement was recorded every 30 min from injury to definitive care. The 30 day mortality rate and functional outcome were studied using the Modified Rankin Scale ratings of 0–3 vs 4–6 for favorable vs poor functional outcomes, respectively. Subgroup analyses of different injury severities and patterns were performed. Results: The mean time from injury to definitive care was 1.28 ± 0.69 h, with cases categorized into the following subgroups: < 30, 30–60, 60–90, and 90–120 min. For all patients, a longer interval was positively associated with the 30 day mortality rate (p = 0.053) and poor functional outcome (p < 0.05). Subgroup analyses showed the same association in the major trauma (n = 321, p < 0.05) and torso injury groups (n = 388, p < 0.01) with the 30 day mortality rate and in the major trauma (p < 0.01), traumatic brain injury (n = 741, p < 0.05), and torso injury (p < 0.05) groups with the poor functional outcome. Conclusion: Even within 2 h, a shorter time to definitive care is positively associated with patient survival and functional outcome, especially in the subgroups of major trauma and torso injury.