Assessment of the Role of Prevention Training and Care in Trauma Patients in Rural Regions 2001-2005

Trauma-related mortality (due to road accidents and gunshot and disaster…) is unexpectedly high in Iran. Short trauma care training course to rural health system and villager of Mehran, Eylam would improve the care for trauma victims. The objective of the present study is to describe the training and evaluate its effect using changes in physiological function of victims. Advanced trauma care course for physicians and nurses, complementary basic trauma care course for emergency technicians and health workers, basic trauma care for highly educated people and first aid short course for ordinary people were developed. After training, the region traumatic patients entered the system through two channels: to the local Mehran Emergency Clinic (some with primary treatment before the local emergency clinic) or directly to Ilam University Hospital. Outcome indicator was the physiological change assessed with the physiologic severity score (PSS). During courses period, 185 physicians & nurses, emergency technicians & health workers, 239 highly educated people and 4410 ordinary people were trained for trauma care.During 3 years leater 366 injured were transported to Mehran Emergency Clinic (226 received primary treatment before the local emergency clinic) and 245 were admitted directly to Ilam University Hospital. Total mortality rate was 10.3 percent (66 out of 641 injured people) and the mine injured mortality rate was 20.7% (37 out of 179 mine injured). In the injured who received trauma care at Mehran Emergency Clinic, PSS mean was 6.4 which improved to 7.5 in the hospital (P<0.001) in comparison with 6.79 in the other group. Rural health worker and general population could be upgraded to care for victims of injuries by using available resources. This system can improve the indicators and reduce trauma mortality rate.