Effect of change in velocity on the development of medical complications in patients with multisystem trauma sustained in vehicular crashes.

Medical complications such as sepsis or multiple organ system failure increase the morbidity and mortality associated with injuries sustained in car crashes. This study addresses the question of the association, if any, between one crash characteristic, i.e. change in velocity (delta v), and subsequent medical complications. Data on seventy-six severely injured patients were obtained as part of an in-depth, trauma-center-based study of the biomechanics of vehicular trauma. Factors found to be predictive of the development of complications included patient age > or = 36 years, delta v > or = 30 mph, and injury severity score > or = 25. Vehicle occupants involved in crashes with a delta v > or = 30 mph had a risk of complications more than five times greater than for those in the lower delta v group. Better knowledge of the dynamics and severity of the crash could help clinical staff anticipate the development of complications and initiate timely prevention strategies.