An Acute-Trauma Index.

Abstract : Thirty-nine parameters commonly measured when a patient with major trauma is admitted to a hospital were evaluated by pattern-recognition techniques in an attempt to define an acute prognostic index. The resulting index was a euclidean distance using single pretreatment estimates of arterial pH, hematocrit, prothrombin time, and the systolic blood pressure. Prospective validation of the index resulted in a 98% accuracy of prediction of survival rate with an individual misclassification rate of 15%. When used in conjunction with an anatomical index, the expected misclassification rate was reduced to 8%, and the actual misclassification rate experienced was 3.4%. (Author)