Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of trauma-related deaths among hospitalised patients in a study of more than 5,000 admissions between 2018 and 2022, while burns recorded the highest proportion of deaths among the injury categories examined.
The findings were presented during the second day of the Bethune Round Table 2026 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where healthcare professionals and researchers discussed trauma care, patient safety and specialised surgical services.
The research was undertaken by Dr Alexandra Harvey, Director of the Institute of Health Sciences Education at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), and Dr Dwayne Kellman, a consultant in the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department.
Their examination of trauma admissions sought to identify the causes of serious injuries and factors associated with deaths among hospitalised patients.
While road crashes accounted for the largest number of trauma-related deaths, burns had a mortality rate of 11.4%, the highest among the injury categories studied, despite accounting for fewer admissions. Falls were also a significant contributor to serious injuries.
The researchers identified age, injury severity, injury type and ethnicity as factors associated with the likelihood of death following trauma. The summary of the presentation did not provide a breakdown of these associations or explain the finding concerning ethnicity.
The results point to the importance of both preventing injuries and strengthening the care available after they occur, including timely emergency assistance, staff training, patient monitoring and specialised surgical services.
Other discussions during the conference’s second day addressed pedestrian safety, cardiac surgery and patient care.
The Bethune Round Table brings together healthcare professionals, researchers and policymakers to examine ways of improving surgical care through international partnerships and local initiatives.
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