Trauma and long-term mortality.

摘要

To the Editor: Certain factors may limit the conclusions of the study by Dr Davidson and colleagues. The authors stated that discharge to a skilled nursing facility was an independent predictor of long-term mortality in all age groups. Although the authors controlled for confounders, we believe that the need for discharge to a skilled nursing facility reflects either severe primary injury or less-severe injury in patients who need complex medical management-often elderly individuals or those with underlying comorbidities. Thus, discharge to a skilled nursing facility may not be the only important independent predictor of long-term mortality in trauma patients.